Shikamaru's Greatest Plan
by RonsInnerVoice
Summary: Chapter 21 of the latest arc, A Most Untroublesome Week is up. This time, we get a view of what Princess Temari is like to her delegates.
1. A Shadow

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.**

**Sorry that I took really, really long to update this. I am going to try to chronicle how they get together, not much of a preview but it's hopefully going to many, many wonderful chapters. I hope. I promise the story is much better than the preview.**

**But briefly, Kankurou's hurt, and Shikamaru helps out. In his own way.**

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: The Beginning

Shikamaru scratched his ear. The itch was getting worse and he had absolutely no idea why. He glanced around him; Genma was still looking at the scroll with Raidou. He concentrated, trying to listen for what they were discussing about. This wasn't really a position he would have liked to be in, but then again…

He was a Chunin after all. And that meant responsibility.

He hadn't expected to be included with the two older and more experienced Jounins, but they had been quite obliging to him, treating him almost as an equal. That was one of the reasons he wasn't trying to slack off this time. Genma sensed his glance and nodded to him. Shikamaru returned his nod. He wasn't being kept out of the loop, but he was sure they would tell him when they were done.

The three of them were really just a back-up to the earlier group of defenders, who had met the Sound assassins' initial attack. Tsunade-sama had been sure that the assassins had been dispatched but it was always best to be sure. Looking at the both of the, he wondered if he should make some sort of conversation, but decided against it. Too troublesome. Besides it would have made him look like some nervous genin and as much as he would hate to admit it, he wanted to impress the Jounins. Not that he wanted to suck up, or anything, but for some reason, the laziest Konoha shinobi was in fact getting uncomfortably aware that he could no longer be so easy-going.

It was all fine and dandy when he was a genin, or when he just became a Chunin, to be as lazy as he wanted. He always had the genius thing to back him up and lazy was regarded as eccentricity. But now, too many things were happening; things, people were changing, growing even before he even realised it.

Naruto had already been gone for almost a year with Jiraya-sama. Neji had already become a Jounin, (a week ago only) and even Chouji had changed, becoming quite the serious shinobi. Whilst he… He sighed to himself. How ironic it was that the most 'mature' Genin was finding it hard to grow up.

Well at least moving out and getting his own place hadn't been difficult, despite his early age. That had been a decision that was unanimous from all corners of the Nara household.

1. His mum had wanted him to be more independent and responsible.

2. His dad just agreed with everything his mum said.

3. And Shikamaru just wanted to escape his mum.

His new place was on the other side of town from his parents, (a fact that his mother had been extremely suspicious of) though it hadn't kept her from turning up every few days to clean up and re-stock his fridge. He did however, wonder how she got in, considering the fact that he hadn't given her a key. After carefully observing her pattern, he ensured that he was always out of the apartment when she turned up. The prime reason for moving out after all was to escape her nagging. He would spend the time at the park, watching clouds and sleeping the afternoon away.

He didn't really care when Ino had criticised him for still relying on his mum, but he did feel slightly put out when Chouji had not jumped in with any sort of defence, but rather had looked to be agreeing with Ino. Asuma had pulled out of this argument, smirking behind his cigarette and it had left Shikamaru feeling more than just slightly bothered.

He didn't know who been more surprised when he had actually volunteered to assist Anko the Chunin exams. The look on Tsunade's face was good, but the expression on Asuma, not to mention his own dad's, was absolutely classic. But as Shizune had passed the necessary documents they would need to Anko, (actually rather used a wheelbarrow to dump), who in turned dumped them on him, he wondered if it was too late to swallow some sort of poison. Or fake some sort of injury. One that would last a long, long time.

But responsibility was responsibility. So there he was, stuck in tons of paperwork while Anko continuously disappeared. She was, if possible, lazier than him. That was why he hadn't protested much when Tsunade had assigned him to assist Genma.

A sudden movement in front of him brought his attention back to the forest. Raidou moved nearer, and passed him the scroll for him to read. Nodding in appreciation, he opened it up and read Shizune's small but neat handwriting. It seemed that there was an unexpected complication. Some of the Sand shinobi's had been on their way to Konoha for discussions about the exams and it looked like they may have gotten caught in between the defenders and the asssasins. The 3 of them were to keep a lookout for the Sand shinobis and aid them if needed.

Shikamaru re-rolled the scroll and placed it inside his pouch. Genma motioned Raidou and him closer as the two of them huddled to hear his orders.

"Right by now, the sound guys should have already been dealt with, so our job now is to scout for the Sand shinobis and aid them in reaching Konoha. I'll take west, Raidou, you take east and Shikamaru, you take north. If any of us locate them, release a blue smoke bomb to inform the rest. And after an hour if none of us do, return back to this spot. Understood?"

Shikamaru nodded. Next to him, Raidou spoke, "You may however, run into some of the Sound assassins. If they know of your presence, release a red smoke bomb to inform us. If not follow them and if the chance arises, engage them. There should be ANBU nearby to aid you."

Shikamaru nodded again, feeling slightly self-conscious. He had been on other missions before with other people than his normal team, but they had been Chunins that he had known. The two of them probably didn't mean anything by it but it did feel a little like they were babysitting him, the way they were briefing him. He wondered who the Sand shinobis were but chances were that he wouldn't know who they were so he held the question back. Besides if Genma knew, he would have told him.

With one final glance, the 3 shinobis dispersed to their respective directions.

* * *

Shikamaru concentrated, trying to hear any odd sounds as he moved. So far there was nothing that seemed out of the place. He wondered what he would do if he did meet the assassins. Would he be able to handle them? Come to think of it, he couldn't sense any ANBU nearby. Well no use worrying about it now. If it came down to it, he would find a way to handle it. He was a genius after all, big head and all.

It had hardly been half an hour when he spotted the red smoke coming from the east direction. He groaned to himself, and changed direction. Upon reaching the location, he could see a body lying on the forest ground that looked dead. Straining his ears, he could hear the sound of clashing kunais roughly about 50 meters away. But before he could reach there however; he was nearly thrown off the tree by a familiar sound. Or rather a familiar windstorm.

As he struggled to hold on from getting thrown off the tree, he groaned to himself again. This hurricane could only mean one thing. She must have been one of the Sand shinobis. When the wind died down, he moved cautiously towards the source, checking to see what the situation currently was. It would be completely stupid if they were in an ambush or fight, and he turned up right in the middle.

Carefully he approached, his eyes straining to pick up any movement. As he peered out from behind a large clump of leaves, he noted Raidou on the ground, standing over a body, while Temari stood on another branch, that irritatingly smug smile on her face. She looked very different, gone were the short skirts that had so attracted the male population of Konoha during last year's Chunin tests. Both she and Kankurou had been promoted from what he heard from Kiba, since he had been away on a mission with Asuma and Ino.

He had only seen her when he got back, just as most of the groups were leaving. He hadn't said much to them, only paused to exchange a few barbs and insults as normal whenever they met. She had been quite pleased with herself, no longer having to put up with the fact that he was a Chunin before her, practically trying to goad him into some sort of fight. He, in turn, had tried his best to get as far away from her bossy smirk and the group of fan-shinobis. Girls, and her in particular, were really extremely and completely too troublesome.

She was now wearing a long blue robe that still displayed her … err… well-formed figure._ Still a sight for sore eyes._ She appeared even more stunning than he remembered. Not that he would have ever said so. But hey… last time he checked, still just a guy after all, genius or not. He was taken aback however when she suddenly gave a laugh.

"Are you so scared of me that you're just going to hide there? Looks like you haven't changed a bit… lazy bastard!" Temari smirked in the direction of Shikamaru. She had sensed someone in the leaves but it was the trademark Nara ponytail, which was peeking, which had told her who it was.

A vein throbbed on Shikamaru's forehead. Less than a minute and already she was weighing in with the insults. His pride already a bit damaged, he stood up slowly, unconcernedly brushing off the leaves. Composure was all he had left for now. He calmly jumped to the branch next to Raidou, who to his irritation, was trying to hide a smile.

"Temari." He acknowledged her, nodding unconcernedly and trying his best, not to check her out. Bright blonde hair, which was still dusty from the travel and brighter blue eyes, stared back at him. And not to mention the fact there wasn't even a scratch on her, despite having to take on 2 assassins. He turned away from her, trying not to show any reactions to her comments. Or to her in general.

"Tsk tsk... don't worry coward… I've already taken care of all the baad guys." She replied, smiling sweetly at him. She didn't know what it was, but she really found it fun to irritate this guy. Compared to most of the other guys out there, who would get flustered and angry, or be too intimidated to even reply, Shikamaru had a way of ignoring her that really riled her up.

Of course, there was the whole duel thing which he had defeated her, no matter what the final result was. And she had to admit, she was slightly disappointed to learn that he wasn't around during the last Chunin exams but she didn't show it or she would have had Kankurou on her back for days. They had met up at the end when she was about to be on her way back to Suna, a newly promoted Chunin, a fact that she had eagerly boasted loudly to him. For some reason she really wanted to show it off to him, trying to goad him to say something.

To her immense irritation, he didn't even acknowledge it, just had exchanged a few words (well insults really) before making a quick exit. She had to make do with cursing Kankurou soundly on the way back, leaving him completely confused.

And now there he stood again, seemingly oblivious to her or her insults. And… her eyes widened and narrowed. He was actually yawning now! She gripped her fan, wondering what the other Jounin would do if she clomped Shikamaru on the head.

Unbeknownst to her, it was taking all his composure to ignore her, something that was beginning to irritate him. True, it had been some time, since he had last seen her, but come on. It wasn't like he was… well like he had anything for her. He had to admit she was certainly good-looking, and in a way, not completely uninteresting. But that still wasn't a good reason to be feeling this way. He tried another yawn, knowing that it was a better way than trading insults to get under her skin. Temari had always seemed like one of those bossy girls who liked attention, and therefore the more you ignored them, the more you irritated them. Besides it was too troublesome to get into an argument with her. He turned away from her, facing Raidou.

"Whatever you say ma'am…" He replied, kneeling down to look the assassin over. He heard her intake of breath. He mentally sighed to himself. Surely it couldn't be that she took insult at that simple comment could she? _Troublesome…_

"If the two of you are done…" Raidou interrupted, raising an eyebrow, causing the two shinobis in question to blush slightly. "Good. Now, Temari-san who else was with you when you were attacked?"

Temari replied casually, with a wave of her hand, "My brother Kankurou. But we were separated back about 200 meters away, near the gorge. He only had one or two of these creeps so it shouldn't take him too long to deal with them."

Raidou said nothing, which caused Shikamaru to look at him. True, he didn't know Raidou that well, but there was a vibe coming off him right now, though Temari hadn't picked up on it yet. Raidou glanced at him, before replying, "Then we'll leave Genma to accompany him. Let's be on the way back to Konoha first. It's already getting quite dark."

With a shrug, Temari set off with Raidou, leaving Shikamaru following behind them wondering at the feeling he got off Raidou. As they neared Konoha, they were joined by Genma and a medic-nin. Shikamaru nodded to Genma who fell in-step with him. Two of them only. _Shit._ The medic-nin approached Temari, asking her if she was injured. Instead of replying she looked around them, asking a question that had entered Shikamaru's mind immediately.

"Where's my brother?" She asked, raising her eyebrow at the medic-nin.

The medic-nin didn't reply, instead turning to glance at Genma. Shikamaru knew something was up, and now so did Temari.

She stopped in her tracks, causing the whole group to stop with her. She narrowed her eyes at Genma, "What's going on? Where's Kanakurou?"

Genma, didn't answer immediately, just continued chewing on his toothpick. He glanced around him, as though looking at something. Shikamaru, behind him sensed another presence in the trees. It must have been an ANBU member.

"I asked you a question. Where is my brother?" Temari's voice rose a little this time as she asked again, her hand gripping her huge fan tightly enough to turn her knuckles white.

Genma took the toothpick out before replying, "Unfortunately there's a problem. The ANB-"

Temari cut in, her voice dangerously high, "What do you mean there's a problem? What's going on?"

Shikamaru sensing something stepped back. This looked like it was going to get rough. He looked at Raidou trying to get some idea of what had happened. Raidou's face was like stone however.

"If you'll let me explain," Genma replied patiently. "According to the ANBU, Kankurou took a direct hit off one of the attacks. He fell over the gorge and we believe into the river."

"And?" Temari replied tensely,. "Where is he now?"

Genma paused again, before replying simply, "We can't find him yet."

Shikamaru bit back a groan. _This couldn't be happening…_

Without another word, Temari turned back in the direction of the gorge and started to move towards it. She had only gone a few branches, when Raidou stepped in front of her.

She raised her fan warningly, "Get out of my way."

Raidou didn't even flinch. "Its getting dark and you don't know the area. Let the ANBU deal with this."

She stepped forward again, a dangerous note in her voice "If they could, they would have found him already. Now move out of my way."

This time Genma replied, "Temari-san, I understand your desire, but you would only hinder them." Shikamaru winced, though true, those were tough words for anyone. Temari would probably take more insult at that. Genma spoke again, "There's nothing that you can do for now. ANBU members are already searching, so the best thing to do is to follow us back to Konoha."

Temari glared at him, a look of real anger in her eyes. She glanced around them, sparing none of them her ire. She stared at Shikamaru, as though expecting him to say something, and this time this was not one of the flirty or smirking looks. Shikamaru held her stare for a few seconds, before looking to the ground. He suddenly found himself unable to even look at her. There was nothing really to say… but somehow he felt as though he was letting her down, which was silly of course. They hardly knew each other besides… it wasn't like he could have made the Jounins change their mind.

In front of him, he was aware of Temari turning back around and heading in the direction of Konoha. Sighing to himself, he followed behind the Jounins. Looking at the sky as he moved, he wondered. _How could such an easy mission get so wrong…_

* * *

It was already past 8 when they reached Konoha. Genma pulled alongside him and told him that he didn't have to go with them to see Tsunade. He nodded, relieved that he wouldn't have to be involved in this troublesome business any longer. He considered saying goodbye to Temari, but she walked away without as much as a look at him. He looked at her back, the slightest bit shame running through him. But there wasn't much that he could do now, again after all they didn't know each other very well… though coming to think of it; he was probably one of the few people that she did know. Not very well but at least a little.

Walking back to his apartment, he wondered if he was doing something wrong. But he didn't want to get involved right? After all… these things were too troublesome and it wasn't his style at all… right? This line of reasoning that had worked so well in the past suddenly seemed completely and utterly shallow. But anyway, it wasn't like he owed her anything. Ok well she did help him out with Tayuya that time but that was just about duty. It wasn't like she…

He stopped in his tracks and groaned. How could he have forgotten what happened after that? She had accompanied him to the hospital and had even waited outside the operation room with him. And he couldn't even repay the favour. He looked in front of him; his apartment building was just a few meters away.

A warm bed and what ever meal his mother left behind awaited him.

Or…

* * *

Genma looked up when Shikamaru entered the Hokage's office. Slightly surprised, he said nothing however as the Chunin came to stand next to him. Shikamaru studied Temari from behind. She seemed to be so engrossed into staring into space, standing in front of Tsunade-sama's desk that she wasn't aware of his presence yet.

Tsunade spoke, "We've already sent a message to Suna to inform your younger brother." Temari didn't respond to the words, still looking out the window. Tsunade looked at her with a certain amount of pity. Her eyes glanced over to Shikamaru at the back, smiling at him slightly.

Shizune entered the room then, holding a message scroll probably from ANBU, and moved to pass it to Tsunade. Temari finally seemed to return to the room as she stared at Tsunade and the scroll. Shikamaru, closed his eyes when he heard a sigh pass through Tsunade-sama's lips. It was bad news.

"Temari… I think you better take a seat." Tsunade said, putting down the scroll, her eyes unreadable. Temari, now pale, dropped onto a chair that Shizune pulled out behind her. Tsunade sighed again, "We haven't found him yet. But the ANBU found Karasu roughly 100 meters, by the river. It was damaged slightly."

Temari didn't reply. She sat still, staring at Tsunade-sama's desk. There wasn't anything much to be said. Kankurou would never have allowed Karasu to be separated from him. Unless… unless he was too badly injured to do anything about it.

Seeing that there would be no response, Tsunade continued, "But there's no real reason to panic just yet. It's quite dark, so the ANBU might have a little trouble locating him clearly. But we should be able to find him by tonight." That sounded false even to Shikamaru. ANBU was trained to deal with such things, dark or not. For them to take to so long to find him… It didn't bode very well. However there was still no response from Temari.

"Temari…" Tsunade asked gently. "Did you hear me?"

She suddenly looked up, as though waking up from a dream. "Ah… Yes. I heard you."

Tsunade, studying Temari's face, said in a gentle voice, "The best thing for you to do now is probably get some rest… all right? I'll let you know the minute we find him."

Temari swallowed, and stood up slowly. Tsunade continued, "Shizune will find you a hotel to rest for the night… Ok?" Temari straightened, and seemed to regain her composure. She took a breath and raised a hand to rub her neck, before nodding to Tsunade and slowly pushed back her chair.

Shikamaru watched the whole exchange silently, frustrated that there wasn't anything that he could possibly do. She would go to the hotel and wait… all alone in the village. Unknowing, and waiting unbearably alone… A sudden idea popped into his head.

"Ano…"

Temari looked around in surprise. She thought she had seen Shikamaru go off when they reached the village entrance. When did he enter the room?

"What is it Shikamaru?" asked Tsunade-sama, with one eyebrow raised.

"Well… my parents are out of town. And if… Temari-san is ok with it; she could stay over at their place for the night." Shikamaru said, looking more than just slightly uncomfortable, putting his hands into his pocket.

Genma and Shizune looked in surprise at Shikamaru. Of all the things, they would not have expected Shikamaru to put up such an offer. Even Temari was astonished, her mouth hanging slightly open. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and added, "I mean after all it would save Shizune-san some trouble. And since it's only for the night, my parents wouldn't mind."

Tsunade hid her smile behind her hands. Shikamaru really was surprising sometimes… and this offer of his. She had no doubt it was a spur of the moment decision, but Temari didn't know, it was probably a hard one for him to make. Getting himself involved in something that could be troublesome. And giving such a silly excuse too. It would have been no trouble to Shizune as they had already prepared rooms for both the siblings as Suna's messengers.

An image of him, outside the hospital room that day when Akimichi Chouji was dying, flashed into her head. And also… she remembered, with a smile, Temari had been there as well. She hoped Shikamaru knew what he was doing, or rather, she hoped that he wouldn't do anything to make things worse. But still…it was a very nice thing to do. Temari shouldn't have to be alone tonight.

"Very well. Temari is that alright with you?" Tsunade asked Temari. Temari, still looking at Shikamaru with some surprise, replied hesitantly, "Ah… all right. That should be …ah… fine."

Ignoring the smirk from Tsunade, Shikamaru shrugged and motioned for Temari to follow him, as he walked out the office. As he was about to walk down the steps, he stopped suddenly causing Temari to bump into him. Turning to face her, he reddened slightly, looking away before asking, "Ah… do you need help with your luggage?"

Temari looked at the small bag that she was carrying, and looked back at Shikamaru. Getting the message, he turned back and continued his way down the stairs. She had to smile a little at his antics. She wondered why it was that he had made such an offer, and also why she accepted for that matter. Well it was true that he was one of the few people she knew in the village. And she guessed … she didn't want to really be alone tonight. _Kankurou… you idiot_

The rest of the journey back to his place was silent. Temari, because she was too caught up in thoughts of her brother, and Shikamaru because he had absolutely no idea what to say. Or do for that matter. Damn his mouth, for reacting before he could think this through. _What was I thinking? And what are mom and dad going to say about this? Why did they have to be out of town today of all days?_ _If they had just stayed home, I wouldn't have made any offer, and I wouldn't be stuck in this troublesome situation now! Those two…_ He grumbled silently to himself, mentally noting to be even more grumpy then normal to his parents when they returned.

* * *

He opened the door for her to go through, motioning for her to turn on the light switch by the wall. As light flooded the room, he stood uncertainly, watching her look around the house. She was a far cry from the person who he had seen earlier in the day. Her face was pale, and her shoulders were drooping slightly. She must have been exhausted, after the long journey, and now this problem.

She turned back to him and said in a voice so unlike her, "You have a nice house. By the way, where did your parents go?"

He looked at her, wondering what was up with the voice. He had never heard her so polite to him. "They went to see my grandmother. They'll be back in a few days. Don't worry they wont mind you staying over." Temari gave him slight smile, though he could sense it was rather forced. "Ah this way. You can sleep in my old room tonight."

She paused on the stairwell behind him, "You don't stay here anymore?"

Lifting a hand to scratch the back of his head, he replied, "Nope I moved out some time ago. But don't worry I'll be around." he added quickly, seeing the question in her eyes. "I'll sleep on the sofa and keep you safe tonight." He said it as a joke, almost as an afterthought, hoping she would respond and make fun of him or something, anything to get that look of her face. He groaned to himself, when he realised what that must have sounded like, especially with Kankurou in this situation.

However it seemed to work, as now, a real smile appeared on her lips. She replied, "As though I would ever need you to protect me." She pushed past him, and continued up the stairway. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding. That could have turned out very bad. He followed her to his old room, and pushed opened the door.

Thankfully his mother was a freak for cleaning, for that meant the room was clean, despite not being occupied for some time. It looked pretty much like he left it. Plain and simple. He moved to get a futon from the back and set it up for her. Looking at her, he said, "You already passed the toilet earlier back there. And I'll be down below, alright?"

She didn't respond, just nodded her head. He paused, before asking, "And Temari… are you o-"

"I'm fine." She cut in immediately. "I just need some sleep." He nodded, and walked out the door before turning back to her. "And if you want something or you're hungry…"he said, causing her to roll her eyes. "I know i know. I'll ask you." she replied impatiently.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "No….when did I say that? What I was going to say was that you can get it yourself. Try not to bother me got that?" he said, with just the slightest hint of a smile. The look of surprise on the face turned into a full-blown smile as she shook her head.

Shikamaru walked off, pleased with himself. Now to get some rest…

* * *

He scratched his ear again. _Goddamit!_ Why was this itch back? He groaned to himself. How troublesome this was. He adjusted himself on the couch. He had hoped it would be cooler but it was still like he was in an oven. And now this itch…

He suddenly remembered some cream that his dad had mentioned a few days back. Where was it? Ah yes… in the upstairs bathroom. He sat up, trying to hear any sounds from the room above. The last thing he had heard was her wishing him good night (surprisingly) roughly about half an hour ago. Since then nothing, but he would still have to be quiet when he went up. He wasn't sure why, but he felt it would be better that way.

He got up and went up the stairs, as quietly as he had been taught._ Hmmm… she didn't close the door fully._ He could see the moonlight that was shining through the window. Shrugging, he walked to the toilet thankful that it was before the room. He went in and searched the cabinet for the cream. While searching, he suddenly became aware of a soft noise.

He stopped, wondering if it was the pipes. Checking them carefully, he found nothing to be wrong, no leaks or anything. Scratching his head, he went down to the kitchen, and looked at the tap. Nothing, in fact he couldn't even hear the noise now. He went back up, and there it was again. Faint but now he was sure it wasn't his imagination. He stepped outside the toilet wondering where it was coming from. He walked down the hall, trying to discern when he realised it was coming from his old room.

Temari was crying.

He cursed and backtracked, hoping she hadn't heard him. He was such an idiot! He went back inside the toilet, wondering why he was such a fool. What was he going to do now? Well the logical thing was to go back down and try to sleep right? He looked at himself in the mirror. No… nope… after hearing that, it wouldn't be so easy to fall asleep, tired or not. And now that he had identified it, it seemed much louder, loud enough to make him wonder why he hadn't heard it in the first place. _Well done Shikamaru, sensitivity absolute ZERO._

He leaned on the door, wondering what he was going to do now. _Come on genius, think!_ But that didn't seem to work as even more nothing came to his mind. He leaned out the door, hoping she might have actually been finishing, but no. It was still going strong, and… it was still heart-wrenching. He hung his head low and sighed. He looked at the door, realising that a part of him wanted to go and console her.

But… but it would be embarrassing if he went to the room to console her. Not for him, but for her he meant. Temari had always been so strong and proud. If he walked in there now, she would definitely be embarrassed. And pissed off. Besides, what did he know about consoling someone, especially a girl at that? He sucked at it. Just ask Ino. He wished then that Naruto was here, Naruto who always seemed to know how to cheer people up. Or Ino… or any girl for that matter. They would know what to do. They would know how to stop that painful crying….

He groaned, this was getting him nowhere. And he was getting more, and more bothered hearing her. Maybe he should just go back down. He should. Back down the stairs and into that uncomfortable couch, and leave her to cry her eyes out. Closing his eyes, he stepped out and found that his feet were taking him the other way.

He stopped outside the room, wondering if he should go in. Deciding not to, he carefully sat himself down against the wall. She must have sensed him by now. Should he say something? He lifted a hand to his mouth, but deciding against that for now. She still didn't seem to be stopping anyway and he had nothing really to say. Her sobs were not as loud, but still plenty painful. He snuck a quick glance into the room. She had let her hair down, and it was lying over the pillows. And he could see the moonlight shining over her face, glinting on her very wet cheeks.

Her cries were like a gnawing in his stomach, stopping occasionally only as she got the breath caught in her throat. He wondered if he should ask her to stop crying. After all that was what people seemed to do in this situation. But back when he had cried for Chouji, and the other guys, no one had asked him to stop. Not his father, Temari or the Hokage. His dad had told him later that, tears for someone he loved was never embarrassing. And who more important, than your own brother?

He had never really seen them act like brother and sister so much, but they did argue like that. If Chouji had died, _(knock on wood!)_, he figured he would be worse. He thought about it then, not just about Chouji but Neji and the other guys as well. They were never that close, but still… There was something now, after that time. And if any of them had suffered any lasting damages… Would he be able to take it?

There were still no messages from the Hokage, but he hoped it was just that Kankurou had taken refuge somewhere hard to find. It was hard to believe anything happening to the puppet-user… he really was quite strong. But the more time passed, the more grim things looked. He wondered how Gaara was feeling, if he did feeling anything.

He glanced at Temari again. It was slightly unnerving seeing her so… defenceless. He realised that he didn't like her looking so vulnerable. But it did make her look more… like…well a girl wasn't it? Much more like a girl. Ok, admittedly he was a little chauvinistic, _(a sudden image of chibi-Ino jumping and screaming "A little!" popped into his head)_. Shikamaru thought back to what his dad said. It was true…even the strong ones were vulnerable sometimes. He folded his legs, thinking about the situation.

For the strangest reason, he felt it was right for him to be here. When she had been around that time, he had wondered in the back of his mind what she was doing there; but he had felt a weird sort of comfort, seeing her there. His dad had been worse than him at such things, but she… Well even if she did rag on him a little at the end, she had still sat there with him. And it only seemed right, that he in turn, was here as well.

He didn't know if she felt the same, but he hoped she did. He couldn't go in, or say anything… but he could at least do this. In his own way. Well he might as well get comfortable. He leaned back and stretched his legs. The sobbing had stopped, but he could still see her wet cheeks. He yawned to himself, suddenly aware how tired he was. This had been a long day and it was beginning to catch up with him. As he stared in front of him, he found himself drifting off to sleep. He yawned again, wondering if Temari was asleep. Well he would take a little rest before going back down, after all he didn't want her to catch him here in the morning. He couldn't hear anything anymore from the room. But as he drifted out to sleep, he wondered about that stupid itch that had seemed to disappear.

* * *

The sunlight streaming on his face woke him up. He yawned, adjusting his pillow, before realising he had none. He moved his neck, groaning as he felt the cricks. Brilliant idea, sleeping out here, just to accompa-. He suddenly became aware that a shadow was looming over him._ Damn!_

It must be Temari. He sat, frozen, wondering how she was going to react, and how he was going to get out of this. She stood over him, not saying anything. _Damn the girl!_ Why couldn't she just say something and be done with it? He wondered if he could sneak a look at her face. Nope… better not. If she didn't want to say something, well then he would play the same game. _Why did he always seem to be in these situations…_

They must have stayed in the same position for a few minutes, though it felt like a few hours to Shikamaru, His legs were aching and his mouth was dry. Thank god he hadn't been drooling or something! He wondered how much longer they would have to stay like this, when he heard her voice.

"Shikamaru." She said in a soft voice. _Wow._ She sounded so…so… sweet. Like Hinata almost. And that was freaky. Well he was wondering if the Hokage had sent a messenger over while he slept, but it seemed like his question was already answered. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't open his eyes. "Yeah?"

"You didn't have…" she paused before continuing, "you didn't have to do th–," was all she said before he interrupted her. "

Do what?" She didn't reply, only stood silently. She was about to repeat when he cut in again. "By the way… you're bothering me ok… this is my favourite spot to sleep."

She stared at him in astonishment, before feeling herself break into a reluctant smile. _That Shikamaru…_She carefully moved over him, and went to the toilet. Shikamaru, waited for her to close the door, before he stood up. Man, was he aching! He went downstairs slowly, groaning with each step. **(He really is a cry-baby).** Temari was probably taking a bath, hearing the running water. He went into the kitchen to get a glass of water when he heard a loud knock.

His parents? No they wouldn't be back so fast. Besides why would they knock on their own door? It had to be… He dropped the cup into the sink and quickly went to open the door. He opened it to a Chunin who he had seen before, though he wasn't quite sure of her name. She smiled at him, glancing past him to Temari who had run down from the second floor, her hair wet and dressed hastily. The Chunin smiled at Temari, "Your brother is at the hospital. The Hokage has already personally treated his injury. You can come and see him now."

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at Temari's face, which right now was a picture of confusion and joy. She thanked the Chunin before Shikamaru closed the door. Temari gave him a bright smile as he turned to look at her. He smirked in reply, "Why don't you get dressed properly and go?"

She turned red, realising how she must have looked. Turning back, she went back up the stairs. Shikamaru watched her go, sniffing the slightest scent of roses lingering behind. She must have been washing her hair when she heard the knock. He wondered what would have happened if it had been his parents at the door, and she appearing half-dressed like that.

No… that would have been too scary to imagine! His mum would have probably tried to kill him right there thinking he had done something wrong, while his dad would have just been smirking in the background. He decided to let her go by herself to the hospital, while he took a shower first. It wasn't like he had to be there immediately anyway. He sat back down on the couch, thinking about the smile she had just given him. Not one of the flirty ones, or a forced one. Just a real genuine smile, without any agenda… as bright as the sun. He blushed slightly, slapping his head, thanking god there was no one around. Imagine, him feeling like that about Temari. But he did realise he no longer ached so much after all.

* * *

"So he isn't too badly hurt?" Shikamaru asked Sakura who was taking down notes from a patient's chart. "Nope." She replied. "And they would have found him sooner, but he somehow got sucked by a current to an underground cavern."

"An underground cavern…" mused Shikamaru. "What are the chances of that…"

Sakura turned to him and said, "If you want, you can go and see him, though I wouldn't recommend going in now." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She smiled at him and replied, "Go and see for yourself."

After getting the room number, he asked her how to go there. Following Sakura's directions, he stopped in front of an empty ward, wondering if he took a wrong turn, when he understood what Sakura was talking about. Going down a level, he stopped outside the ward, where he could hear Temari practically screaming at Kankurou. And he didn't seem to be holding back either. Shikamaru wondered if he should come back later, but he had been supposed to report to Anko. If he didn't go now, he might not have a chance later.

Taking the risk he pushed open the door and went in. Stopped a few meters in front of the two siblings, who had also stopped upon seeing him. He looked at Temari and then Kankurou, who looked really funny. Wow, he had no idea how similar they looked under the paint. They really did look like siblings now, complete with red faces from shouting. Temari glared at Kankurou, before turning her head to face the other way. Kankurou looked more furious than ever as he too turned the other way. Shikamaru examined them carefully. He could guess what they were fighting about, or actually what they were really angry about.

Kankurou was probably angry at himself, angry and most assuredly embarrassed for getting injured by those assassins and being separated from Karasu and giving everyone a problem. And it wasn't being helped by Temari being so concerned. And Temari was probably embarrassed at the strength of her feelings for her brother. She was always acting so strong, mocking him and making fun of him, but last night she had been a pale shadow of herself because of worry. And people had seen that, and that was compounded by the fact that the object of her worry wasn't even sorry for making her worried.

He smiled inwardly to himself. Both were too embarrassed to say what they really meant. He could relate actually. All three turned when Sakura entered the room, asking for Temari to see the Hokage. As Temari left, she gave Kankurou one final glare, causing him to grip his sheets tighter.

Shikamaru stood, watching him on the bed. Hmmm… only an abdomen injury which didn't look too bad. Probably his pride was more damaged. Kankurou turned to him suddenly, as he was looking.

"What! What do you want!" He snapped. Shikamaru looked at him calmly, folding his arms before shrugging. Kankurou gave a snort and turned away.

"Ano…" Kankurou didn't respond, so Shikamaru continued. "You do owe me… a pillow however." At that weird statement however, he turned around, astonishment on his face. "What?"

"Well your sister stayed over at my parents place last night." Shikamaru said, putting his hands into his pockets. "So?" replied Kankurou, looking testily at Shikamaru. "So… she practically destroyed my favourite pillow… and kept me up all night." continued Shikamaru as he walked over to look out the window.

"Heh, don't tell me what you guys do in your private time. I don't need that image." snorted Kankurou. Shikamaru didn't turn away from the window, letting the joke pass before he spoke again.

"Crying…crying….crying all night long." He said breezily, pausing to see if Kankurou was going to say something. No reply, so he continued, "Soaked my pillow through. I couldn't even get a wink of sleep also…So troublesome…."

Silence descended upon the room. Shikamaru glanced around at Kankurou who was now staring very hard at the sheets. Shikamaru turned back to the window, smiling to himself. _That should do the trick._ They stayed in the silence a bit longer, till Temari returned to the room. She bit her tongue, when she realised Shikamaru was still there.

She glared at Kankurou again, "Lie back. The Hokage said you should be resting if you want to travel later." clearly not expecting him to listen. This must have been what they were arguing about earlier. She was, to say the least, surprised when he actually did so, without a complaint. He still refused to look at her though. She moved to his side, wondering what was wrong when he said softly, but clearly, "Sorry."

She nearly bit her tongue, when she heard it. She stared at him, but he had his eyes closed. What the hell had happened? She dropped into the chair by the bed, almost undone by his apology. Kankurou …apologising! Without a death threat! Had the world gone absolutely mad? What happened when she wasn't here? She turned to look at Shikamaru, who was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He too had his eyes closed. She bit her tongue, though her curiosity was killing her. He must have had something to do about this. But the idiot would never tell her.

Whether Shikamaru heard her or not, he suddenly came alive and walked to the exit. Leaving without saying a word. _How typical_, she thought. She looked at his back, shaking her head a little at him.

"Shikamaru." Temari turned and looked at Kankurou. His eyes were still closed, but he had called him. Strange, she had never heard him address Shikamaru by his name, preffering to call him the shadow-punk. Shikamaru had stopped before the door, but didn't turn around.

"What?" came the reply.

Another pregnant pause before, "Thank you for taking care of my sister last night."

Temari's mouth dropped open again, in astonishment. She couldn't believe what she was hearing or seeing. Shikamaru didn't respond, only shrugging his shoulders before walking out. She looked at Kankurou again; completely dumbfounded at everything that had just happened. The two hadn't even looked at each other during the whole exchange._ Men…_ She would never understand them.

* * *

Shikamaru cursed Anko heartily. She had left him to do all the reports, even though he needed to rest. He had only finished in the late afternoon, and was now on the way back to his apartment, cursing all women. He had entertained the idea of visiting the Sand siblings again, but decided he had seen enough of them for now.

As he walked back, the itch in his ear started again. Now irritated beyond belief, he turned to the direction of his parents' home, with a vehement oath, to get the cream he had forgotten earlier. Now he would have to walk all the way over there.

He was passing by the gates to Konoha, when he heard a familiar voice. Groaning, he realised it was Temari. _Not her again…_ He wasn't in the mood to deal with her right now. She was at the gate with Kankurou, probably preparing to go off. She was wearing a dark green robe now, and her hair was back perfectly as normal. He replied testily, "What is it now?"

Temari looked taken back a bit at the tone in his voice, but he couldn't care less. He was sore, tired and itchy. She said nothing, coming to stand in front of him studying his face. Shikamaru was getting more tired, as the same vein popped on his forehead. Raising an eyebrow, he said again, "What?"

She still didn't respond, instead just looking at him. He rolled his eyes and was about to turn away, when she suddenly put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him firmly on the cheek.

He looked at her in amazement, hoping that his mouth wasn't hanging open. He clenched his fist inside his pocket, trying to make sure it wasn't going to come out and touch the spot she just kissed. He could still feel the wetness of her lips, and it was driving him crazy. She didn't say anything after that, no blush whatsoever. Just stood there studying his face again.

He was pretty sure, he was blushing though, and he was trying hard to say something and not stand there like an idiot. She suddenly turned around and said, "Nothing." As she walked back to the smirking Kankurou, she said, "I'll see you around Shikamaru."

There just like that, getting the last word again after stunning him like that. That stung him into action. He waited till they crossed the gates and turned around slightly, before saying clearly, "Whatever you say cry-baby…"

He turned quickly, not missing the smile on her face. He continued on his way, forcing himself not to turn back and watch her walk away. That girl was … dangerous! And that kiss… well he hoped no one had seen it or there would be plenty of gossip. He couldn't however, get rid of the smile on his face. She was still troublesome but now… not so much. Yes… he was looking forward to the next time they would meet.

* * *

**Man I really love long chapters don't I? Lol. Also I've come to realise, Shikamaru loves to groan. A lot. Now how do you pple find it? Good, Bad, Out Of Character? Let me Know Thanks! **


	2. A Shadow's Desert Rose

**Err.… First of all sorry to all those who have been waiting for me to update this story. (I hope that there are people waiting!) I have just been too busy with school and work. But I hope you will take this short "filler" for now and don't worry because there is a bigger chapter coming up soon. Also just to confirm I have removed the earlier first chapter as people have commented that it wasn't very in character. I hope that this however is. PLs let me have any other comments thanks!**

**To Some Very Nice Reviewers**

**LishaVilla** :I didn't like the first chapter too much so I took it out! And I hope you havent lost complete interest in the fic! I hope this filler will be alrite..

**Bullwinkle** : I don't know which is which either! Don't worry Shikamaru is smart. H always knows the right thing to do. He'll never make you spew curses!

And also a big thank you to **iMmoRtaLfrEnD704, Black Mage Leah, soysauce-jr, '.Serene. Panda.'scribbles-in-the-margins, Kirai-chan, Rama chan, ardenilia**(just started reading your fic "Its Worth The Troubles" Will review it later!), **Sabakuno Temari**( i can't see the bird either! Tell me how you do it!), J**yukai Koudan. Thanks for bothering to read this story!  
**

**Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: A Shadow's Desert Rose**

"Ne …. Come on..." whined Ino. "It's hardly any trouble to do this very, very small favor for me…"

"No." replied Shikamaru lazily, trying his best to ignore his team-mate. _Damn, she wasn't just blocking the warm sunlight but his view of the clouds. Unforgivable!_ To tell the truth he had no idea what the favor even was, not bothering to pay any attention at all, when she had run up to wake him from a sound nap in his favorite spot in the park.

One of the many things he had finally been able to catch up on now, since the Chunnin exams were now over. The missions would start soon, but for now and at least a week more, he would have the time to do anything he wanted. Which meant in his book, sleep, eat, trash Asuma in shougi, train (a little!) and generally not do anything troublesome.

Which was probably what Ino wanted him to do, something troublesome. Also he got a kick out of saying no to Ino. The spoiled brat got her own way too much.

Ino gave her best glare at the laziest shinobi she ever met. Nothing. _Not even a yawn_. She rolled her eyes, knowing it was pretty hopeless. Normally she may have been able to nag him long enough to do a small favor for her, but this wasn't a small thing. Besides she knew he finally got some time off after being completely dominated by Anko-san for the last few weeks. To make him go all the way to Sunagukure, was a bit too much. But the competition was just next month! So giving up wasn't an option.

She dropped down next to him on the grass, trying to sigh pathetically hoping to get some sympathy from him. Once again, nothing. She sighed again; _hmmm…Maybe I could persuade Chouji to do it. I could lure him with some meat. Or Asuma-sensei with cigarettes. _No…. Nope she couldn't afford to be THAT broke this month.

Normally, Shikamaru was the best bet because he didn't require any bribes, all one had to do was nag long enough till he got so irritated he would just do it. But to make him travel to another country on his off day required something special. Something that you had to have heard through the grapevine and kept carefully away for a rainy day. And that just happened to be this day…

"You know Shikamaru, "She started keeping her tone light, "I heard some stuff about you in the last few weeks."

Shikamaru didn't even look up as he replied, "You shouldn't listen to gossip. It's very un-becoming of a shinobi."

Annoyed now, she replied angrily, "Baka! Gossip is something that all shinobi should listen to! That's what infiltration is partly about. You can learn a lot about a town from just its gossip."

He looked at her with a knowing smirk. "I'm sure that's what you were doing. Training."

She resisted the urge to punch him, _for now_. Besides, this wasn't her point. "As I was saying … I heard a funny piece of "news" about you and a certain Suna kunoichi…."

At that name, the cockiness vanished. It wasn't easy to see because he was still pretending to half-asleep. But she had known him for some time now. Grinning to herself, she continued, "At first I couldn't believe it after all because that couldn't be the Shikamaru I knew, but …" She trailed off, knowing by the slight stretching of his neck, she had him.

"For god sakes woman, don't spread rumors about me. They're probably un-true anyway." He replied, slightly more uncomfortable now.

"Really? Well that's what I thought especially when I heard about her looking half nake-"

He cut in irritated, "She was just anxious about her brother! She was in the bath when she came…" Now it was his turn to trail off as he realized that he had let go more information that he had intended to.

Ino stared at him, wide-eyed. Her information had been sketchy at best, but here was the culprit confessing bigger things! This was starting to get interesting. "From the bath? Was she alone…?" She suggested wickedly, trying to get another rise out of him.

But Shikamaru was not taking the bait this time. He had resumed his position, looking unconcerned again. "I wonder what the others would think…." She teased him.

He looked up at her, a blank expression on his face, "I have nothing to hide Ino."

_Damn! _She tried her last ploy. "Then I guess you won't mind when I tell everyone about your kiss…"

His eye twitched. His hand clenched. And most importantly, he licked his lips. She leaned nearer, to his ear. "Everyone."

Finally she got what she wanted, the look of fear in his eyes. She smirked, as she got up, dusting the dirt off her skirt. This was a delicate moment. She turned without saying goodbye, making sure to walk away slowly.

Step.

Step.

Step

"Ino." Came the call she had been waiting for. With a skip she turned around, almost running back to her team-mate's side.

"Yes, Shika-kun?" She asked, trying to hold back a grin. Shikamaru flashed a grumpy look at her.

"Don't call me that. What do you want?" He asked looking away.

Ino grinned to herself. "Well… as you might have heard, there's a botany competition next month, and I wanted to enter." She paused, looking at him. When there was no reply, she continued, "But I need something big, so I thought of coming up with a new type of flower. You don't need to know the specifics, but it's basically a desert rose."

Shikamaru yawned and stretched his arms. "What does it have to do with me? I don't know anything about flowers."

"I know." Replied Ino, "But I need to see if it can survive in a desert climate…" She paused, wondering if he had caught on.

"No. Forget it." Shikamaru replied, shaking his head vigorously. "I'm not traveling all the way there just for some silly plant."

"Flower! Oh come on, Shikamaru… It's not that far. And I heard that Suna is very nice this time of the year." Ino pleaded, trying to make herself as cute as possible.

Shikamaru looked at her in disgust. "Then you can go yourself." With that he started to walk away.

"Come on, you know Asuma-sensei would never let me have the time off!" Ino stared at his retreating back. In desperation, she called out again, "I'll tell your mother! Everything you hear! Everything!"

He snorted, not bothering to turn around. "She'll never believe that I would do anything with a girl." _Damn_! He had her there. He continued with a shrug of his shoulders, "In fact forget what I said earlier. You can say whatever you want, no one will believe you."

Ino, thinking quickly, shouted, "Yes they will! Because they'll hear **my** version of the story!" That caused him to stop. Ino continued, gaining steam, "I'll make it sound worse than even you can imagine! They might not believe my story, but they'll damn sure spread it!"

Shikamaru stared straight ahead, eyes closed. "You wouldn't dare…" He muttered, only to sigh._ Yes, she would._

"You might think you don't care, but you will. And who knows where it'll spread to…" She grinned evilly. "It might even spread to a village of one of our allies. Like… Suna?"

He groaned to himself. Turning around in defeat, he hung his head. Ino just grinned. "Hehe … I wonder what SHE would think about it…."

He didn't even look up. If such a rumor ever got to her ears, she would kill him, and that wasn't even considering what her brothers would do to him. It wouldn't matter if he was to blame or not.

He looked away, jamming his hands into his pockets, "What do you want?" Ino smiled sweetly at him. "This is ironic. All you have to do is bring a couple of flowers there to see if they can survive for a week-"

Shikamaru cut in, "How would I know if they can survive or not? Besides…" He trailed off as something struck him. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you just say a week?"

She put on an innocent smile. "Yes. Don't worry, I've already made arrangements for you. There was a border dispute between some feudal lords in Wind and Fire and so they are having a meeting to "talk" it over in Suna. Konoha's been asked to mediate and so Godaime is sending some shinobis over. I heard that they would have to stay for about a week or so."

"First of all they would probably send some mediators not shinobis so why would Godaime send me. And I seriously doubt she would send me just for your flowers." Shikamaru spoke, seeing a way out for himself.

But Ino just smiled back, "That's not my problem is it? You better get yourself assigned. Unless you want me to …."

Groaning to himself again, he turned around, thoroughly irritated with himself. _How did I get stuck in this position?_ Before he could walk away however, Ino's voice rang out again.

"One more thing Shikamaru… I need you to ask someone else to take care of the flowers as well. You can pass it to her there. Sakura told me that she's pretty good with plants."

He waited for her to continue. Hearing nothing, he turned around to her grinning face. "Well who is it?" he asked irritatedly. She just smiled. Rolling his eyes he turned away, but not before Ino spoke. "I told you it was ironic."

He stopped again. Groaned. Sighed.

Troublesome.

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"What? Shikamaru volunteered!" exclaimed Tsunade to Shizune.

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"What? Shikamaru volunteered!" exclaimed Yoshino (mum) to Shikaku (dad).

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"What? Shikamaru volunteered!" exclaimed Asuma to Chouji.

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"What? Shikamaru volunteered!" exclaimed Sakura to Ino.

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"What? Shikamaru volunteered!" exclaimed Kiba to Hinata.

_And many more exclamations by the rest of his friends…_

**And so my little filler ends! Yay! I have no idea why this took so long, but I hope people won't be too disappointed with the lack of Temari in this chapter, but her presence was felt I hoped. **

**The next chapter will be Shikamaru's Greatest Plan : The Troublesome Week, Chapter 1.**

But for now pls let me know what you think.**  
**


	3. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 1

**A new chapter? In record time? (for me that is). Some might think that I'm taking an awfully long time just to get Shika and Temari to some real action, but hey I've always felt that the best part of this pairing is the "foreplay". So I hope you won't be too disappointed till then. **

**Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: The Troublesome Week, Chapter 1**

The Godaime couldn't believe it. His family couldn't believe it. His friends couldn't believe it. HE couldn't believe it. One whole week in a foreign land. One whole week trying to pacify petty nobles. One whole troublesome week…

There was no mistake in his mind. He would definitely come up with a way to get back at Ino for this (as long as it wasn't too troublesome to do so.) Already there had been several times during the trip here when he had been tempted to just let the basket with those troublesome flowers get "lost". But that would have defeated the very purpose of his trip here. And there were other reasons of course. Firstly, he was a nice guy after all and…and…

It gave him a reason to meet up with her.

He sighed as he watched the other 2 mediators talk amongst themselves. Her. The reason for all the trouble in the first place. He was doing all this just to stop her from pounding on his head. And ironically it was to her that he was heading to once he reached the village. He wasn't quite sure why, or for that matter what he was going to say when he saw her.

In fact, he wasn't sure about anything regarding her.

He pursed his lips. _Not impressive, _he thought.

After consulting his head, he realized that he was partly wanting, and dreading to see her. Mostly dreading. But he still wanted to see her, and that irritated him the most. That he couldn't figure out why. Oh he knew there were reasons to. She was good-looking and all … but she was also bossy, loud and irritating. But he couldn't yet specifically list why, **he, **was interested to do anything about her. Or perhaps… he couldn't yet admit the reason to himself. He shivered in the hot desert sun. That was passing on dangerous territory.

They had parted a few weeks ago in not that un-friendly terms. And admittedly, there were times in the last few weeks when he had thought about that kiss on his cheek. He shook his head. Why did she have to kiss him? Couldn't she have just said thanks or shaken hands or something! But no… she had to choose the awkward and troublesome way.

He was sure Chouji had been grinning when he had told him about the trip. He hadn't exactly said anything about that kiss or any of the other details to Chouji, but he was sure some of it had reached his best friend's ears. And there had been one or two times that Chouji had a knowing smile when Temari's name came up. But it was when he was leaving Konoha that had been the worst.

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_Flashback_

He was grumbling about Ino and women in general, while Chouji who was supposed to have been helping him pack, and just sat there eating his potato chips. He sighed. Why didn't he just ask his mother to help him pack?

"I'll probably be back in a week. And please don't ask Asuma to go for BBQ till I get back. He still owes us one free meal there, and I don't want to miss that." Shikamaru said, while rummaging in his closet, trying to figure out where his spare jacket was.

Chouji paused, one hand over his bag of chips, "Since when do you care that much about a free meal?"

"It's not that I care about the meal, but I won THIS meal and I'm not going to let him get away from it. He'll be bankrupt after I'm done" He replied with a lazy smile.

"Hehe," snickered Chouji, "You can't blame him for what Ino did."

He smirked. "You think I don't know who gave Ino the idea to blackmail me to go in the first place?" He gave up, slamming the closet shut. Well, he should have everything already and he had to meet the group on 20 minutes. "He deserves what he gets." Turning around to face Chouji, "Make sure you're really hungry before we go next time." He turned back to his bag, adjusting the straps when Chouji suddenly interrupted him.

"Are you really that disappointed?" He asked clearly.

Shikamaru paused, turning to face Chouji, eyebrows raised.

Chouji grinned knowingly at him. "I don't think so."

_No matter what you do in the next few seconds,_ thought Shikamaru, _don't blush. For God's sake don't blush. Since when did Chouji get so troublesome!_

Thankfully, before his face gave him away, he was saved by an energetic knocking on his door. Without waiting for him to answer, Ino burst in with a smile. "Shikamaru!" He didn't bother to answer, purposely ignoring her. But that never stopped Ino. She was about to continue when she saw Chouji.

"Chouji! Good, I don't have to look for you now. Asuma-sensei wanted to know if we could go for lunch today but I already said yes for you." Said Ino cheerfully.

That caused Shikamaru to groan, while Chouji just laughed. Ino frowned at the two of them, "Nani?"

"Nothing," muttered Shikamaru even more irritated now. "What do you want now?" He snapped at Ino, who was slightly taken aback before grinning at him.

"Shikamaru… don't tell me you're still sulking about this smaaall favor." said Ino laughingly." He replied by ignoring her. She shared a grin with Chouji. "Anyway I've already packed this nice, kawaii basket. So take care of it alright?"

Shikamaru took the basket from her, groaning to himself about having to carry the ridiculously designed basket. He could imagine what Temari would say when she saw it. He grabbed his bag, and prepared to head out, when a thought struck him. A dangerous thought to pose, especially to these two. But he had to ask.

"Ano… You have told Temari about this right?" asked Shikamaru un-comfortably. "I don't want to… you know…I mean she didn't exactly seem that helpful or nice to me. And what if she isn't around?"

"Of course!" answered Ino quickly. A little too quickly. "I've also included a letter in the basket about what I hope she can help me with. And if she's not around, then you can pass it on to Reiko-san at the Kazekage's office. She's really good with flowers as well."

He stared at her, "Why can't I just give it to her in the first place?" He asked in the most irritated tone he could muster.

"Well I heard that Temari-san is one of the best around…" She hastily added when she saw the look on Shikamaru's face, "But Reiko-san would help as well."

He stared at her, wondering what she was really thinking. But there was nothing he could do and he was going to be late if he didn't leave now. Ino grinned at him again.

"So I guess you choose who you give it to I guess…" she teased. He didn't reply, just continued to walk out of the apartment, followed by the both of them. As he left them at the foot of the building, he heard Chouji say something to Ino. It was too low for him to catch but he did hear Ino's reply.

"Nope… he doesn't look that disappointed."

_End Flashback_

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Shifting uncomfortably under the hot sun, he wiped his forehead with his arm. He could see Suna up ahead, and he could sense the shinobis around them. Probably_ Suna's ANBU, _keeping an eye on the visitors. He hoped that the meetings wouldn't start immediately, hoped that they would at least give him a chance to get some rest.

He gazed up into the hot burning sky. God it was hot, and the sky was clear blue. How did they stand it over here with the sun burning into everything? This was just one more inconvenience to add, and he hadn't even reached the village yet! As he entered the gates, where they were stopped by the gate-keepers, a thought did cross his mind. How on earth did she keep her skin so fair and white in this sun?

Hmm… now that would be an interesting question to pose, though not one he imagined he could ask without getting a metal fan pounded on his head. He nodded at the one of the greeters, a shinobi that he had met a couple of weeks ago.

He yawned, as they passed him through the gates. So this was Suna. _Not__that impressive,_ he thought. One of the mediators, Tendou-san, informed him as they made their way to their hotel that the meetings would only start tomorrow as the Feudal Lords were too tired after from their trip yesterday afternoon. He smiled to himself, that gave him some time to go get some rest. In front of the hotel, he told the mediators to carry on and get their rest.

He had business to take care off.

Surprisingly, as he walked, there wasn't anyone who looked twice to see a shinobi from Konoha. That was how good the relations were between the 2 villages currently. Oh, there were definitely some ANBU keeping a general eye on him, but it was still hard to believe that less than a year ago, this village had just tried to wipe his out. And they were now allowing him to stroll casually around.

He stopped in front of a road sign. Hmmm… the Kazekage's office was down the road. On the other hand, he had no idea where she was. And he was definitely not going to stop someone and ask. He looked around, hoping to find someone that he recognized. And he did find one, coming down the road.

"Well well look who it is…" said Kankurou as he stopped in front of Shikamaru. "What are you doing in my village eh?"

There were a few people that he had hoped not to meet. (Temari was, in truth, one of them.) The rest included her siblings.

"Mediation." He replied lazily.

Kankurou grinned at him," Yeah I heard about the talks. But I wouldn't have thought that you would be involved."

Shikamaru yawned, "No choice."

"Heh, you're still as rude as ever, eh, punk. Well I don't have time to waste with you. Have fun with your 'talks'…" Kankurou said as he walked away.

_There goes your chance. Ask him. Ask him, you idiot!_

"Ano…,"called Shikamaru uncomfortably, "Is your sister around?"

_Please, please let her be out of the village._

Kankurou turned back with the grin he expected. "Temari? Why?"

Shikamaru replied quickly. "Nothing, just some stuff to pass on to her." He knew it was too much to ask, but he hoped Kankurou wouldn't start asking troublesome questions.

But Kankurou's grin got wider. "Wow news spreads fast eh…"

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows causing Kankurou to pause. "You are here because of what happened right? Kinda desperate aren't you… " He trailed off as Shikamaru looked even more confused.

"Happened? No, I'm here just to pass her some flowers…" He groaned to himself, as Kankurou laughed, realizing how that sounded. "Anyway," he said, trying to cut through the laughter, "What happened?"

"Well, Temari got kind of hurt in her last mission, some internal bleeding. She's fine, but she's resting in the hospital now. I'm actually on my way to see her. You wanna tag along kid?" The last part was asked with a wicked grin

Shikamaru nodded his head, not bothering to answer and give Kankurou more ammo. As they walked on, Kankurou asked him, "So what's with the basket?"

Shikamaru ignored him. "Is it for Temari?" Kankurou laughed as he looked at Shikamaru. "You know she's going to have a field day with it." _That was obvious,_ he thought gloomily. And was it to much to ask for to have Kankurou shut up? His prayers seemed to be answered as Kankurou suddenly shut up. For a few minutes.

"It's a pretty basket. Designed it yourself then?"

**Another chapter done for now! I know, no Temari either, but I promise next chapter is when they finally meet up. ** **I also have to mention that there is going to be a lot of Kankurou around in the stories. I just love to have a sarcastic guy around.**

**Please let me know what you think. The next part, _Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: The Troublesome Week, Chapter 2_ will be out in a matter of days!  
**


	4. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 2

**Yet another new chapter? I am on a roll lol ! Anyway Shikamaru and Temari finally meet up. Without any further ado, onto the show!**

**A big thank you to :**almostinsane, Siriuslyblacked,spriterx, FallenXAngelXMystery, wowowee33(no twists revealing!), elvenarchress, LishaVilla, Lady-Azura. You guys bothered when no one else did. Thanks!

** But First 2 Points I've notcied in the reviews : First, for **(elvenarchress)** at least 3 months has passed between the first chapter(A Shadow's Comfort) and the second (A Shadow's Desert Rose). And second, I'm a guy.  
**

**Shikamaru's Greatest Plan**: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 2**

Temari was bored. Not of the attention. Or the presents. But of being cooped up in that drab room. She smiled at one of her fan-boys, who was saying something to her. She didn't exactly hear what, but a smile would be a sufficient reply. It was nice of her fan-boys to visit her, and god knows she was glad of the company, but they were starting to irritate her now. That was a first; she never knew she could get bored of attention.

She looked out the window, wondering if she could get them to help her escape the nurses. There was absolutely nothing to do, and she still had to stay another day. Even her "presents" were boring. Kankurou would have fun destroying them later with Karasu. She sighed to herself again, and looked at the group in front of her. Staring at her, waiting for her to acknowledge them, or to just do anything. It had been fun at first when guys were no longer afraid to approach her openly for fear of getting attacked by Gaara, but right now she could not stand them another second longer. She faked a yawn, which worked as they started apologizing for bothering her and filed out of the room.

She yawned again. Ok, she was getting sleepy. She lay back onto her pillow and made herself comfortable. Kankurou should be here soon, but if he woke her up, she'd kill him. She stared out the window, her eyes getting heavier.

"Temari! Look who's all the way here just to see you!" said Kankurou as loud as possible, as he burst into the room. She groaned, _just a few more minutes_. She sat back up at him, irritated as he grinned at her.

"Idiot!" she snapped. "I was finally about to get some rest and you had to wake me up!"

"Yare yare… so where are your fans anyway?" He asked dropping into the chair by her side. "Surely they can't have gotten bored of the wonderful Temari-sama?"

She glared at him. "I got rid of them because I needed some rest baka! Now, will you please shut-up and leave me alone!"

Kankurou grinned, "I don't think so sis, you have a visitor from far away just to see you. You definitely want to see him."

She rolled her eyes, feeling sleepy again. "I seriously doubt that. Tell whoever it is to get lost." She leaned back into her pillow again with one final glare at Kankurou.

"Are you sure, sis?" snickered Kankurou, enjoying his surprise. He leaned in to whisper in his sister's ear. "He did come all the way from a… leafy place."

Her body tensed, as her eyes snapped open, to Kankurou's laughing face. She glowered at him, sure that it was a joke and angry at herself for responding. It wasn't like she wanted to see that person. Or that he would come…just to see her. That was ridiculous. She sat up and smacked Kankurou on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for!" said Kankurou, rubbing his arm. She just glared at him before laying back down into bed.

Shikamaru paused outside the room, after being shown the way by one of the medic-nins. _Damn that Kankurou_. He had just continued walking without even waiting for him. But at least that had given him time to do a little shopping. As he entered the room, he heard Kankurou laughing. Hmmm… It would be a good idea to check the situation out before he rushed in. He stood at the door, trying to get a glance at what was going on inside.

He managed to catch sight of Temari lying down on the bed, looking very irritated as usual. that was to be expected for a girl like her. Now he didn't expect, was that his heart would just suddenly skip a beat or that suddenly his palms would start to sweat and his jacket would get very uncomfortable. _Idiot_. _Should have just given it to Reiko-san._ But there was time to back out yet. Neither of the siblings had seen him yet. If he could just slip away…

Unfortunately for our hero, Kankurou had already caught sight of him. The kid looked like he was about to run. He grinned; this was going to be fun.

"Oi, what are you doing skulking over there! She's in here!" he called. The kid turned around quickly and walked in, giving him a glare. Before he could say anything however, his attention was caught by the person on the bed, who was having the same reaction.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before realizing that they were staring. Kankurou watched as his sister got just the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. The kid raised his hands, and rubbed the back of his head as they looked away from each other.

**_Shikamaru's P.O.V_**

_Why on earth was this so awkward! Just looking at her, he could feel his nervousness increase. Was it so hard to say something? And damn that Kankurou who was sniggering away._

_Just say something, Shikamaru, say anything! Just don't stand here like an idiot rubbing your head._

**_Temari's P.O.V_**

_At that point of time, she couldn't be sure which she was more in disbelief over. The fact that he was here, or the fact that she was __blushing! She sneaked a look at him from the corner of her eyes. He was wearing that Chunin jacket of his, and he was carrying a completely ridiculous basket. As her eyes moved onto his face, she realized that he was also sneaking a look in her direction._

They both stopped and looked away quickly. Awkwardness permeated the air around them.

**_Kankurou's P.O.V_**

_He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it was certainly damn fun to watch. Any minute he expected one of them to blurt something out. His money was on… the kid. Temari was too experienced to make the mistake._

"Ano…" They both said simultaneously and stopped. Both looked away again.

**_Kankurou's P.O.V_**

_Ok. He was wrong._

**_Temari's P.O.V_**

_Temari bit her tongue. What was wrong with her? This was just another guy, another __kidin factthe kind that she dealt with a lot. Someone who, should be glad, that she even bothered with him! She sneaked another look at him.He was rubbing his head, and that was what he __should do. Now she was more at ease._

"So crybaby…that's a pretty basket. What's in it? Daisies?" She asked, grinning at his embarrassment. "What the hell are you doing here anyway? Wouldn't have thought that a lazy ass like you would have been able to last the trip here."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He should have expected this. He opened his mouth to reply but Kankurou beat him to it.

"He's here for the mediation talks." Kankurou leaned back in his chair as he smirked in Shikamaru's direction.

Temari sniggered, making Shikamaru glare at Kankurou again. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Poor baby, finally got scared of real shinobi work eh? Well I have to admit, it certainly suits you, what with all the women and 'babies'." She laughed, as he rolled his eyes at her again.

Well, he was now, **absolutely **sure that there was no more awkwardness left. And also that it was a mistake to have come here. _Troublesome woman_, less than 2 minutes here and already she was insulting him! He wondered why he had even gotten flustered in the first place.

He raised his eyebrows at the 2 of them." Are you done?"

She stopped, but there was still a smug smile on her face, which irritated him. "I wouldn't talk, especially if I'd got injured by a half-bit wannabe shinobi." He shrugged, "Guess you're still not much of a Chunin yet eh…"

Temari stared at Shikamaru, smile gone. He affected a condescending air, as he shrugged, "But don't blame yourself, _woman…_"

Temari gasped. Kankurou gasped. Shikamaru yawned.

**_Kankurou's P.O.V_**

_He did NOT just do that! Damn, the kid had guts! He was lucky Temari's fan was quite a distance away._

"Why you lazy pompous bas-"

"Don't you have something for her?" Kankurou cut in quickly, before Temari could really get started. "Why don't you give it to her now? In fact, take a seat here kid." He continued, ignoring the death-glare his sister was shooting him.

He got up, moving to the other side of the room to let the kid have his seat. Shikamaru sauntered over and calmly sat down, pretending not to notice that Temari was purposely shifting to as far as possible on the other side of the bed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Shikamaru lazing back in the chair, eyes closed, but well aware that Temari was refusing to even look at him. He grinned to himself, wondering if he should be the magnanimous one, since he had won the last round. He decided he should.

"They just needed a shinobi present to in case there were any problems. Just a bit of back-up for the Feudal lords." He spoke, looking in her direction, hoping she would respond.

She waited a few more petulant moments before turning to face him, "It's a complete waste of time. Why were you selected?"

"I volunteered. Personal reasons." He added seeing her eyebrows rise.

"Personal?" She asked, giving him a questioning look.

"Yeah it's about this." He replied, setting the basket on her bed. She gave him a look as she reached for it. Opening the cover, she was slightly surprised and pleased to find flowers. Giving them a quick glance, she realized she didn't know exactly what kind they were, though they did look like roses. Not much, but it was still sweet.

"Hmph, I wouldn't have thought you for the flowers kind of guy." She said, in a teasing voice this time. "You don't even know how to choose them do…" She trailed off, noticing the confused look he was giving her.

Shikamaru sighed to himself. Damn that Ino. "Ino didn't tell you about this did she…"

She frowned at him. "Ino?"

"Blond girl on my team? The one who fought Sakura in the preliminaries?" He asked again.

"Yeah, I remember her." Temari replied, taking her hand from the basket, slightly confused. "What about her?"

He gave her an embarrassed smile. "I think there's a letter at the side of the basket….?"

She grabbed the letter that she noticed on the side and opened it. Reading it, she realized it wasn't she thought. The flowers **were** from that kunoichi Ino, some new type that she wanted Temari to help her with. She read the rest of the details in the letter, disappointed now. Well what did she expect? After all…

"I'm sorry," said Shikamaru, mis-interpreting the look on her face. "Ino said she asked yo-"

"Daijoubu." She cut in, waving her hand. "It's not a big deal."

"Oh.Ok.." replied Shikamaru uncomfortably. He could see that she was….something. Not quite sure what it was, disappointed maybe? That Ino was really a troublesome one. He looked around, quite unsure what to say. Temari was likewise just staring straight ahead as well. She pushed the basket off her onto Kankurou.

"So how long are you staying?" She asked suddenly, leaning back into her pillow and turning to face him.

He shrugged before answering, "Who knows? I guess it would depend on the Feudal Lords. I was told to expect at least a week…"

Both the siblings laughed at that. "You got that right." Temari replied, smiling at him. "You've never had to deal with these lords have you?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, sensing an insult, "I have dealt with Feudal Lords before."

"That's not what I meant baka." She rolled her eyes at him. "I meant these two lords in particular."

"Well not really." He replied, raising an eyebrow. "What's with them?"

"They are known to get into such… arguments. They are always on the verge of war." She said, shaking her head. "It's really just an excuse for them to huff and puff. Something to do to get rid of their boredom. It'll be at least a week before they're done, but trust me. You'll be wishing to get your hands on their necks before the week is done."

He stared at her less-than-caring tone, "Oi, is it okay for you to say something like that?"

She shrugged at him, "What are they going to do?" She looked at him, challenging him to say something. Shikamaru stared at her for a second, before turning away to smile. _Smiling?_

"What? What are you smiling about?" She asked, wondering if he was laughing with her or at her.

"Your mouth is going to get you into trouble one of these days." He replied, hoping she would understand that he was teasing. "But I guess that's nothing new eh…"

She paused, before grinning back at him. "Trust me, after a few days with them, you'll be saying the same thing." She shook her head again, "I haven't the faintest clue why anyone would even bother with those 'lords'."

He bit back a laugh at her condescending tone, pleased she was using it on someone else than him. "We'll see. So how bad is the injury anyway?"

She sighed, "It's nothing at all! But those stubborn medic-nins refuse to let me go. I still have to stay here for another day at least, 'just in case'." She imitated, using air-quotes. "They even scolded me for trying to get out of here! Can you believe it? The nerve of them, to act like my mother… "

He smiled at her exasperated expression. "Well it's always a good idea to do what the medics say. But…" He paused, looking at her.

"What?" She asked tentatively, unsure whether he was teasing her again.

He smirked. "I'm just surprised that a violent woman like you hasn't sent a cyclone to destroy the hospital yet…

He expected her to get either smile or get irritated. But she did neither; she actually burst out laughing! And Shikamaru had to admit, she did look more attractive than usual when she let herself go like that.

"Baka," She said, after a few moments, still with a smile on her face. "I'm not that violent."

They grinned at each other, a warm feeling coursing through them both. Kankurou who was watching them, smiled to himself.

Shikamaru glanced around the room, slightly embarrassed, and not knowing why. His eye fell on the large pile of presents. "I thought you just got admitted. How did you get so much stuff?"

Temari hesitated. For some reason, she felt awkward to tell him about all her fan-boys. She was about to wave the question off when Kankurou cut in.

"What do you think? All those guys just keep sending her stuff. That's the trouble when you're the great Temari-sama I suppose." Kankurou smirked at his sister.

_Baka! _She glared at Kankurou, furious with him for calling her that name.

Shikamaru smirked at that. "Fan-boys eh… Yup, I guess that's the problem of being the great Temari-sama."

She turned to face Shikamaru now, her face red with anger. "It's not like I asked them to!" She snapped.

"Really? I would have thought you'd be enjoying all the attention." He replied, raising his eyebrow teasingly, completely unaware of her present mood.

She fumed, _How dare he say that!_ She glared at him, wondering if she could get in a punch in the nose.

She suddenly smiled sweetly at him, as a better response struck her. "Well of course. Who wouldn't be? After all they're a bunch of pleasant, hard-working, entertaining and polite guys. Unlike some lazy and rude bakas…."

He sighed to himself. The gloves were off again. Maybe it was time to get going, and he did need to get some rest. He stood up, yawning.

"Aww…. the poor baby's tired already. Better go get some rest then…." Temari continued wickedly, trying to get under his skin.

He didn't answer, just muttered "Troublesome," as he continued towards the door. Still irritated and now slightly angry at him for just walking off like that, she tried again. "And I hope you're not looking for a park to nap in. This is a desert you know…"

He stopped in his tracks, causing Temari to laugh again, "That's what I thought. Not much of a genius are you…"

Kankurou had to shake his head, watching his sister at work. What made it all the more funny was that he had the strange feeling that this was her 'way' of flirting with the kid. There were loads of other guys who were interested in his sister and some of them very impressive shinobis as well. Why on earth did she get so flustered about this one?

But anyway, she was mistaken, he realized, Shikamaru had actually stopped in front of her presents. He was probably just trying to cover up his embarrassment. He watched Temari glance at the kid with a thoughtful look on her face, while he looked over her presents, ignoring her. Kankurou had another feeling; that the both of them had forgotten he was even there.

"Weren't there any other flowers?" Said Shikamaru, looking through all the presents, which mostly lilies.

Temari sighed, "I made the mistake of saying that I liked the first bunch they gave me. After that… well you can see."

Kankurou looked at them both in confusion. Hadn't they just been arguing?

"Yeah… lilies just don't suit you. "He said again, still pretending to look at the flowers.

"Really?" replied Temari, a questioning look on her face. "And what do you think suits me?"

He turned around, his face expressionless and for a long time they continued to look at each other. There was a growing tension in the air that waited expectantly for one of them to break the silence.

Shikamaru shrugged, "I would have thought that you were more of a… rose type. You always did remind me of a desert rose…"

She stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes wide open, not saying anything. He thought, _maybe_ _in shock_, when she suddenly burst into laughter much to his chagrin. She laughed right in his face at he continued to look at her impassively.

_Ouch_, thought Kankurou. He grabbed the basket and pretended to rummage through it in an effort to give the two of them some privacy.

"That was lame Shikamaru." Said Temari, when she was finally able to stop laughing. "Surely even you agree! I mean come on…" she added, seeing the expressionless look on his face. "If you want to compliment me, you could at least come up with something better." She laughed again, as Shikamaru continued to look unbothered.

"I," he said, interrupting her, "don't have the time to come up with something."

"Oh please, can you just be a man for once!" She replied, laughingly "That was lame and you know it. Stop trying to pretend and act cool."

"As I said," He cut in again, "I don't have the time to come up with something. Your fan-boys may go for that nonsense, but I don't. I don't know what you thought, but I, only say what I think."

She raised her eyebrows, "So that was what? Straight off the top of your head?" She stared at him, waiting for a reply. But he didn't answer, only continued to look at her. "So you're telling me you really think I remind you …"

She trailed off, as she suddenly realized, that he was being extremely serious. _I remind him of a rose?_ She could practically feel the blush enveloping her cheeks, as they continued to stare at each other again.

Shikamaru had to force himself not to grin outright. If there was a better way to leave than like this, he wanted to know what it was. Pleased with the effect he had, he nodded nonchalantly to Temari, who was still blushing. _Who would have thought this troublesome woman could look so kawaii?_ He thought to himself, as he glanced at Kankurou who seemed to nod at him with grudging respect.

He turned away, grinning to himself and walked towards the door, half-hoping she would say something. And half-hoping she wouldn't say anything.

"Ano…." She called from behind him. He stopped but didn't turn around. "Thanks." She continued quietly. _Hmmm…He could live with that._ If Shikamaru had bothered to turn around, he would have seen her blushing. Hard.

He half-turned, not really looking at her and said, "See you around." And walked out.

Temari stared at the door even after he was gone. She could feel the heat in her cheeks receding, as she bit her lip, thinking about what had just happened. Guys complimented her all the time. All the bloody time. But this time…

"Eh?" exclaimed Kankurou suddenly. She turned to see him holding a smaller basket of roses that she recognized. It was, specifically, one of those that you could buy at the florist in the hospital. She looked at Kankurou questioningly.

"It was in the big one. You must have missed it just now." Kankurou said in reply to her look. He smirked at her, "I'm guessing this one is especially for you." He said, emphasizing the 'especially'.

She took the basket from her brother and looked at it. Nothing special again, not even a card. But it was there. And she had accused him of being impolite. She smiled to herself and took another look at the door again. She placed it by the side of the bed, and reached behind, to pull out her pillow which she promptly used to hit her sniggering brother.

"Ow! What was that for now!" griped Kankurou. Temari didn't respond immediately, instead she put the pillow back behind her and lay back down on the bed.

"For bringing him here to irritate me." She replied, closing her eyes.

Kankurou took the hint and stood up. He walked towards the door, pausing only to take one last look at his sister, who still had the ghost of the smile on her face. Grinning, he left.

**Yes, another chapter ended. I hope this was not too overboard, or not too corny.Or too slow-paced. Please let me know what you think. The next chapters of the rest of Shikamaru's stay in Suna will all be building up to one thing. Let's hope she doesn't kill him till then. **


	5. The Troublesome Week , Chapter 3

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: The Troublesome Week, Chapter 3

Saved by the Troublesome Woman (Again)

Shikamaru yawned as he left the meeting room. Ok, it seemed to go pretty well today with the Feudal lords; with any luck maybe they would even wrap things up by tomorrow and he could be out of here, and back in good, old green Konoha within the week.

It wasn't that Suna was all that bad; it was more that… well to be perfectly honest, it was simply lacking in parks or clouds. He grinned to himself, wondering what the Suna shinobis would think if he told them that. But it was important to him; he needed a place to think, and something to stare at while he thought his long, lazy thoughts.

Well, if all went according how it had been going for the last few days, then he would be out of here by tomorrow. But for now, all he wanted to do was to get in a small nap. The past two days experience had taught him that the Feudal Lords lunch breaks were long, very long. And he seriously needed to get to any soft mattress before his yawning got even more obvious. As it was, only Akane-san, one of the Konoha mediators had noticed, but she had only glared at him for now.

Tch…. He hardly knew the woman and already she was trying to boss him around. She may have had a point; but it wasn't his fault entirely. It was more Suna's fault. Already three days in this village and he still couldn't get a decent night's rest. He wondered why that was when he had no problems sleeping outdoors in missions, or generally anywhere. But he couldn't be bothered to ponder it now. If he hurried he could reach the hotel in time to catch a quick lunch and get a decent nap.

As he walked down the steps, he nodded to one of the shinobis who smiled at him, one of the aides to the Suna Chunnin examiner, Yara. He had been kind enough to show Shikamaru to a good restaurant and they had lunched together yesterday but he hoped that Yara didn't want to do the same today. As shinobis went, Yara didn't seem to be a talkative or nosy person. Just the kind of person Shikamaru preferred, but still sleep was always more important.

"Good afternoon, Shikamaru-san." Yara greeted him cheerfully, a little too cheerfully, Shikamaru felt.

"Good afternoon." Shikamaru replied, trying not to sound impatient.

"I have something to talk to you about. Is this an appropriate time?" Yara asked politely, cutting into his path and blocking the door.

Now slightly irritated, but unwilling to offend him, Shikamaru nodded and followed Yara to a small room by the hallway. Entering the room, he was greeted by a small mountain-load of paper. Shikamaru took a deep breath; he was already beginning to get a bad feeling about the whole situation. This paper was covered with writing that looked vaguely familiar to him. In fact, if he looked a little more closely…

"As you may have guessed Shikamaru-san, these are some of the reports on the various Suna shinobis who took the Chunin exams." Yara said, pointing to the mountain. "However, my senpai found several inconsistencies while going through them. As this was, originally Konoha's work, we were hoping that you could help us go through the rest of the reports and correct them."

The whole thing was presented politely, completely belying the true horror of the task that it actually represented. Shikamaru didn't bother to answer; in his head, he just concentrated on wondering if he should stab Anko with a kunai or use Kage Mane to make her do it herself. This job, these reports, all this was supposed to be her work, but it looked like it was now about to become his. He should have known better when she had promised him that she would take care of it. Taking another despairing look at the mountain, he bit back a sigh, knowing it was going to take him at least a day or more to get it all done.

Yara continued. "I mean, Mitsurashi-san, was extremely careless-"

"Mitsurashi-san didn't do the reports." Shikamaru cut in, with a touch of asperity. "She was called away by the Hokage to carry out an important mission so another person must have done them. That's probably why there were mistakes." Alright, so he was mad at her, but that didn't mean that it was alright for someone else to criticize her. Especially someone from another village. And besides, it was only a little white lie….

"Oh I see…" replied Yara quickly, slightly embarrassed. "So is it possible for you to help us out?"

The way he spoke, it was as though he was giving Shikamaru a chance to say no. Yeah right. And he, so dearly, wanted to say no. Just come straight out say that he couldn't be bothered, that all he wanted to do was to sleep. Just turn around and walk out of that stuffy room without so much as a backward glance, leaving Yara's mouth open in shock. But… that would not only make him look bad, but also to a certain degree, Konoha as well.

Sigh.

Troublesome.

I hate Suna.

He could barely hold back his yawning now, even with Akane-san glaring at him as fiercely as possible. His entire lunch break had been spent, and he had yet to even cover a quarter of it! He had barely even gotten a bite as well. Well, at least he could relax during this meeting seeing as how they hardly even spoke to him. He could understand parts of the meeting when he wasn't completely comatose and it was still better than trying to decipher the illegible writing of the reports. What they needed was… well a good kick in the backsides to start off, but actually just someone who wasn't a shinobi. Even the stern and morose Neji, would have by now, most definitely been tempted to kill both these Feudal Lords.

He bit back another yawn, forcing himself to stay awake. He wasn't so sure if he was ok with Yara anymore. The Suna shinobi had even promised to meet him for dinner and let him back into the office so that he could continue working. He had to actually stab his fingernails into his palms to stop himself from hitting Yara. Anyone that hard-working was….

This whole trip was turning out to be even more troublesome than he had ever imagined. And it was all because of women. Women. Everything that was currently troublesome in his life was brought about by women. He sighed to himself, trying to come up with a way to get out of this problem without making himself or Konoha look bad. He was pretty sure that he would not be able to last another few hours in that office without, a) falling dead asleep, or b) setting all those reports on fire. Ok maybe the last thought was more of a Naruto option, but given enough time, even Shikamaru might fall that idiotic.

He paused as he reviewed the last few thoughts. So maybe he was a over-reacting a little. But to review, he had been blackmailed into make a long and irritating journey to a park-less and cloudless village to deliver something to someone who was just itching to insult him, and now he was about to be stuck doing paperwork on top of listening to these completely nonsensical Feudal Lords.

If that wasn't a reason to overreact, he didn't know what was.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize for a few seconds that everyone was leaving the room. He glanced at Akane-san, hoping she hadn't realized that he had been spacing out. Surely they couldn't have been done for the day? Kami-san…

"Shikamaru-kun." Akane called to him, in a stern voice. He walked over to her, trying to remember what had been going on. She gave him a look, before continuing in an acid tone. "As you were paying attention, the Lords have decided to take a break today. So we are free for the rest of the day. I suggest that you use the time to catch even more sleep than you could possibly need. So maybe tomorrow you might just be a little more awake." The last part was said with an irritated tone, as she turned away from him and walked out of the room.

He bit back a smart-ass reply, trying not to infuriate her further. It wasn't that he was doing it on purpose but as Asuma had once noted to him, he had the ability to instantly irritate any female, with the exception of Hinata. Ahh… let it be. For now he would just thank the Shinobi gods for this opportunity. He was about to walk out of the room, when it struck him. If Yara found him right now, that was it for any plans he had for the night. And most surely the Suna shinobi would have been alerted to the early dismissal of the discussions, and was most probably already looking for him.

Instantly his mind went into action, trying to come up with a plan to evade him and at the same time make it to a place where he wouldn't be able to find him. The first problem was how to get out of the building without being caught. The best option would have been to jump out the windows onto the street, but that would have not only made him look silly (and like some common thief), he was also sure the Suna ANBU would have come after him. There was no way down the staircases without running past Yara's office. Maybe he could sneak into another floor, with a different stairwell. He glanced at the door, imagining that he could hear footsteps behind them. He went towards the west window, which faced another building directly opposite. He considered it; it wasn't that far, and it didn't look like a lot of people walked up and down the halls. Seemed like the best choice he had so far.

He paused, wondering what had come over him. This wasn't the kind of thing he would normally do, but this situation couldn't be helped, he supposed. He climbed onto the railing, hoping that no one would suddenly pop out. Behind him, he suddenly heard the door open, and heard Yara's voice call out his name. Too bad, thought Shikamaru as he positioned himself to be hidden by the curtains. Hopefully Yara wouldn't even imagine what he was about to do.

He was just about to jump when one of the doors on the opposite building suddenly opened. Shit! He climbed back down in a hurry, hoping who it was hadn't seen what he almost did. Behind him, he heard Yara again. He cursed his luck, trying to make himself as small as possible, and cursed even more when he saw who it was that walked out of the room. 

Since that day in the hospital, they hadn't even spoken. They both knew each other was around, but she seemed content to act like he didn't exist. For his part, he had spotted her coming and going into the Suna advisors' offices while he had been taking a break from his own meetings. But she had seemed so hurried, and one time so pissed off, that he had not tried to call out to her. He wondered if he should have, especially at this crucial moment. She was talking, or rather listening to an old woman who seemed to be lecturing her. He couldn't hear what exactly, but from the look on Temari's face and the way she was gritting her teeth, it must have been bad.

They stopped almost opposite him, and he almost cursed out loud again. This troublesome woman seemed to live just to screw with him He stood stock still; reviewing the options he had left. He wasn't sure if the old woman had seen him yet, but he knew that Temari had already caught sight of him, though she continued to ignore him. At least this time he knew why, probably embarrassed at being chided in Shikamaru's presence. He reflected with a slight grin, that if he wasn't in such a terrible position himself, he might have enjoyed the sight of Temari getting scolded by someone else.

Again, he heard Yara call out his name. He gave a desperate look at Temari, who even though, still ignoring him, had heard the goddamned Yara, and was wondering what was going on. He closed his eyes and decided to take his chances. Quickly he jumped, landing a few steps behind the old woman. He could see Temari's mouth drop open, and he even heard the gasp she stifled with her hand. The old woman, turned around to look at the noise behind her, but thankfully Temari said something to catch her attention. Shooting a quick look at Temari, (was she laughing?) he ducked into the nearest room, hoping, praying there wasn't anyone inside who would chase him out.

He closed the door, behind him, ignoring the gasp from the kunoichi at the desk. She stared at him, shocked at his entrance and the fact that he had locked the door behind him. He gave her a smile that he hoped was reassuring and turned to listen to the door. He heard Yara's voice asking Temari if she had seen Shikamaru. There was a slight pause as he suddenly realized that that woman might just 'betray' him. Damn! He should have known better than to rely on her. He tried to listen but he couldn't hear Temari's response.

"Ano…" came the kunoichi timidly, but he pretended not to hear. What he did hear was footsteps outside the door, along with a knock. He paused, wondering childishly if it would go away if he were to hold on long enough. But the longer he considered not opening it, the more he was aware that he had already done too many troublesome things today. If Yara wanted him so badly, he couldn't be bothered to run anymore.

He opened the door, sighing with acceptance, noting that the kunoichi behind him had now drawn her kunai. He checked his sigh, however, when he realized it wasn't Yara, but the troublesome woman instead. She was definitely laughing this time as she looked at him. He was confused, because Yara was no where behind her. Did she actually keep his secret?

If that was the case, then perhaps he could excuse her laughter. And laugh she did, he realized with rising irritation that she was practically in tears. He glared at her, but this only added to her amusement. She finally stopped however, when the kunoichi they both almost forgot, called out in a wavering voice, "Temari-sama?"

Temari stopped, though he could still see the amusement in her eyes. Waving her hand at the kunoichi, she smiled and said, "It's ok Kino. Nara-san here was just hiding."

Kino stared back, wondering what on earth was going on, but she didn't dare to question Temari-sama. Looking at the shinobi, who was now actually daring to glare at Temari-sama, she asked, "Hiding from what?"

Temari gave Nara-san an amused glance, before replying in mocking tones, "Nara-san is afraid of… spiders. Isn't that right Nara-san?"

Kino was speechless. A shinobi running from a spider? Maybe Temari-sama was joking. She looked again at Nara-san who had now turned slightly red. He continued to glare at Temari-sama, whose grin also grew. Finally, after a few minutes, he turned to her and said, "Sorry."

Still speechless, she just nodded, her opinion of Konoha having just dropped. She watched as Nara-san followed Temari-sama out. Hmmm… maybe Konoha wasn't as great as she had heard.

She was waiting for him to say something, he knew that much. And he wanted to, to do something, anything to wipe that damn smile off her face. He fumed, knowing that anything he said or do, would just add to her amusement, making him look stupid. He resolved to take his leave of her immediately when he could.

He followed her grudgingly, as he still didn't know how to leave the building yet, and he didn't want to take the chance of bumping into Yara. He wondered where she was taking him, when he realized she was taking him back to the same building he had tried to escape. He stopped in his tracks, wishing he had never met this evil woman who never seemed to tire of tormenting him.

"What is it now?" said Temari, who also stopped. "Another spider?" He gritted his teeth, trying not to glare at her.

"Where exactly are you taking me woman?" He said, trying not look irritated.

She raised her eyebrows, "Getting out of here. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah." He replied uncertainly. "But not this way…"

She gave him an amused look before turning and continuing to walk "I know, you baka. But this is the only way out from here for visitors."

When she realized he wasn't following her, she turned around and snapped, "For god sakes, can you just follow me! I don't want to waste anymore time already!"

He was surprised; it wasn't that big a deal, so why on earth did she get so angry? He nodded, wondering about her mood changes. He followed her quietly, down the stairs keeping an eye out for Yara and another eye out for Temari. They reached the bottom floor and she pointed him to the exit, without another word. He looked around and saw no one around. It must be lunch time for everyone. He glanced uncertainly at her, wondering if he should even thank her, seeing her mood right now. He was just about to say something when he heard another voice behind him.

"Nara-san!"

As quick as he could, he dashed past the astonished Temari and behind the counter.

Temari wasn't quite sure what to do; whether to burst out laughing or kick Shikamaru. As it was, Yara-kun had suddenly burst from the floor calling for him. He stopped and looked at her in confusion. He looked about, probably wondering where Shikamaru was. She grinned to herself; she could have some fun with this. She walked over to the counter, positioning herself where she could see the expression on Shikamarus's face.

"Nani Yara-kun? Haven't you found that little sneak yet?" She asked, biting back a laugh upon seeing Shikamaru give her an indignant glare.

"Err… No Temari-sama. I thought I saw him just now but…" Yara replied uncertainly.

"Tsk tsk… These Konoha shinobis are so troublesome aren't they? You just can't depend on them." Said Temari again, enjoying the look on Shikamaru's face.

Troublesome woman, thought Shikamaru. He nearly swallowed his tongue however, when he heard Temari open her mouth again.

"Hmmm…" she paused, lifting a finger to her cheek, as though thinking hard. "I wonder, could he be hiding behind here?" She suddenly turned to face Shikamaru, pretending as though looking for something.

Shikamaru performed the hand-seals. He didn't care who this woman was anymore. One good hit was all he asked for.

Yara, however, took it as a joke and laughed. "I doubt it, Temari-sama"  
Temari laughed along with him, though with much more humor. She was especially tickled to see Shikamaru so tense, daring him to use his shadows on her.

"I think I'll wait for him at his hotel. He's probably gone out for lunch." Yara said, hoping that Temari was also about to head for lunch. "Are you going as well? Would you like to go with…?"

"I have to meet someone else for lunch today. Another time perhaps?" She smiled at him.

"Uh… Hai." Yara replied blushing.

Shikamaru peeked from around the other side of the counter. He never knew Temari could be so nice. She managed to put the guy down without hurting his feelings even.

He watched Yara, still blushing, bow and walk out of the door. He stood up after a few seconds, dusting himself off, trying not to look at Temari. Trouble was; he was well aware how ridiculous he had looked a few minutes ago. He steeled himself and turned towards the amused Temari, knowing that once again he was in her debt.

"What?" She asked with a smirk. "Don't you have something to say?"

Giving her a smirk right back, he walked past her, "Not really." 


	6. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 4

_He stood up after a few seconds, dusting himself off, trying not to look at Temari. Trouble was; he was well aware how ridiculous he had looked a few minutes ago. He steeled himself and turned towards the amused Temari, knowing that once again he was in her debt._

"_What?" She asked with a smirk. "Don't you have something to say?"_

_Giving her a smirk right back, he walked past her, "Not really."_

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 4**

**An Intoxicating Nap**

There it was again. They always had to have this _way_ of speaking to each other. She wasn't really angry with him, after all she had to admit, this had been just what she needed. She had been in such a bad mood after the old crone had lectured her, and she still had to go back in the afternoon. Thankfully, Shikamaru's escapade had proved an interesting and humorous diversion. He held the door open for her as they left the building, though he paused outside it.

She rolled her eyes at him as she walked past him, heading back home for lunch. She had only gone a few steps when he suddenly called out to her. She pretended not to hear.

"Temari." He called again. But she still didn't stop walking; she just continued to ignore him. Irritated now, he considered just walking off. He could just walk around till he found a good place to hide from Yara (his hotel was out-of-limits) but this really, was a foreign village. He didn't even know where to get a good lunch from. Heaving a sigh, he jogged to her side, before walking beside her.

She raised her eyebrows, "What is it now? And don't walk so close. I don't want people thinking we're _friends_."

He had to laugh to himself. It was irritating sometimes, but at other times, their banter did amuse him, as did the mean things they insinuated at each other. Sometimes, he had to admit, it was kinda interesting. He took an exaggerated step to his left before opening his mouth.

"I just wanted to ask… if there was any place…I could… err take a quiet rest?" He said, looking over at her.

She gave him a look, "You mean somewhere you can avoid Yara-kun?"

"Mm." He grunted non-comittally.

She ignored the lack of an answer and they continued to walk in silence till she reached the botany. She stopped and turned to him, "Why are you avoiding him anyway?"

He looked away at first, knowing that telling her the reason would only give her more ammo to insult him with. How was he supposed to tell her that he abhorred paperwork? He turned back and shrugged, giving her a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, and said, "Why should I care anyway? I've already helped you enough."

Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows, "When exactly?"

The nerve of the guy! She narrowed her eyes. "Who did you think just saved you earlier?"

He stared back at her unbelievingly. "You told him exactly where I was. How was that 'saving'?"

She grinned back at him, "Hey it worked, didn't it?"

He shook his head, fighting the urge to smack her. "I just need a place to catch some sleep."

She mock sighed, "Tsk tsk… Poor, poor Shikamaru. Just like a little –"

He cut in before she said anymore, "You know what, just forget it woman." Rolling his eyes in irritation, he turned away from her laughter. He should have known better than to ask in the first place. He would just have to find some dark spot to hide in.

She couldn't help laughing again before calling him back. Maybe she was being a little too much.

"Ok ok… you are such a girl sometimes." She said, smirking at his indignant expression. She thought to herself, wondering where would be a good place. She took a look at him, out of the corner of her eye. He nonchalantly slouched on the wall, ignoring all the passer-bys staring at him. What he didn't realize was that Yara could have the ANBU find him at anywhere he went. Except for… maybe one place. But should she bring him there? She wasn't worried about the ANBU; they wouldn't come to that place. But to bring him there was a step that maybe was not appropriate. She continued to think, all the while looking at him.

Which in turn made Shikamaru feel slightly uncomfortable. "What is it?"

She pursed her lips and made her decision. "I know a place, but I'll have to take you there."

He looked at her in surprise, "Why can't you just tell me where it is? I'm sure I can find it myself." He was speaking the truth; he had quite enough of her this afternoon and would have liked nothing more than to have some time alone.

She replied testily, "Because they wouldn't let you in without me. Now either you take it or get lost."

He looked back at her, one hand scratching his head in slight embarrassment. He supposed he should just accept, since she was being kind enough to offer. He just hoped it wasn't some wacky, weird place. He nodded to her.

"Alright. Then wait here for me for half an hour." She replied, turning to walk up into the botany. She stopped and turned around to add, "Oh and if you're not here when I come back, I'll leave without you. Got it? I'm not wasting my time to wait for you."

With that she walked up the stairs and left him gaping at her back. What was he supposed to do for half an hour? He had also forgotten to ask her for a good place for lunch. Should he follow her up?

Looking around, he decided that he didn't want to. He glanced around, finally catching sight of a small – well wouldn't you know it – ramen stall. And it was positioned where he could watch the door of the building for Temari's return as well. He sauntered over to the building hoping that it was at least as good as Ichiraku's.

_An hour later…_

She walked down the stairs feeling a bit more at ease. She could always count on her flowers to calm her nerves, and it had been pretty refreshing to be out of the sun for a while. The rose that the Konoha kunoichi had asked her to look over, was turning out pretty well. It seemed to be handling the climate pretty well; not bad for a girl who didn't seem all that much, she thought to herself with a laugh.

And speaking of people who weren't all that much… She glanced around, wondering if Shikamaru was still waiting. Ah… there he was, at the ramen shop. Glaring at her.

She bit a smile back. Purposely taking her time, she walked leisurely to him, all the while keeping her face stern. She sized up his irritated expression before saying, "Hmph. Thought you have asleep by now," trying her best, to keep the laughter out of her voice. He didn't answer, just continued to glare at her.

"What?" She asked, daring him to say something.

He stood up slowly, not looking at her. He dusted his pants and straightened his jacket, carefully arranging his weapons pouch. She waited, wondering where this was going.

Finally done, he thrust his hands into his pockets and turned to her with a yawn. "Shall we?"

She paused, slightly thrown by the lack of reaction. She had expected him to at least make some comment, on her lateness, or just banter a little… but this was a little disappointing. Unless he really was tired?

She nodded, indicating for him to follow her. They continued to walk in complete silence, which was unlike earlier. It seemed to her that he may have actually been a little angry. Which was something new to her. She had already seen him, irritated, annoyed and even crying, but she had never seen him angry. She hadn't even known that he could get angry. She wondered if she should apologize for being so late.

But Temari was nothing if not proud. She couldn't, under any circumstances, bring herself to say 'sorry' to this kid. Especially not to a shinobi from another village. And most especially not to Shikamaru of all people. Let him sulk if he wanted to. She was already sticking herself out to allow him to find a place to sleep.

And that was what was beginning to bother her. From the kiss she had given him in Konoha to the whole hospital incident. She was getting a little irritated, with herself, for actually caring what he thought. She had kissed him on the cheek on an impulse; but he had been very kind and patient during the time Kankurou was missing, actually allowing her to stay at his parent's place. And if she thought about it, she had to admit she had been pretty touched, when he had come just to sit with her. Thankfully he hadn't tried to come in or anything, but it was still comforting that he had been there, even though he had sat outside the room the whole night, and even denied it the next morning.

She glanced at him again. They were already reaching the place she was bringing him to. Maybe she should apologize, after all it was a little her fault. She had been teasing him non-stop the whole day. But even forming the word, sorry, was hard. _Why did he have to be so idiotic?_ She thought, getting more and more irritated.

He continued to walk, blithely ignoring her, which was something else she was not used to. This guy had a nerve to insult her so in her own village while she was doing him a huge favor!

Completely irritated now, she stopped and snapped at him, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. She stared back, preparing herself to smack him if he continued to ignore her. What she didn't expect was for him to suddenly break into a smile.

"Nothing." He drawled, "Just wanted to see how long a noisy woman like you could actually keep silent for." He grinned at her now, "Should have known it wouldn't be long."

If they had been by themselves, and not in such a populated area, she would have taken her fan and struck him as hard as she could. In fact, thinking about it, when had she ever given a damn who was around?

She reached around to grab her fan but paused. The look on his face, practically begged her to do something. To lash out at him, making her look like the idiot. She calmed herself, if he wanted to play like that, she could also do so.

Gritting her teeth, she turned and walked on without another word, determined not to let him see that his teasing had worked. But she did smile slightly to herself; he could be a little good-looking sometimes when he smiled.

Which resulted in her almost biting her mind's tongue off. Sasuke was good looking. A few other Sand shinobis she knew were good looking. Shikamaru who was almost 3 years younger than her (as was Sasuke) was most definitely, _not_ good-looking. At all. She forced herself to forget that she had _ever_ thought such a thing.

Shikamaru looked curiously at her, wondering what she was thinking. He was pleased with himself for his little joke earlier, though he hadn't gotten the full reaction, he had still seen her grit her teeth. Who would have thought that he could have had so much fun with her?

He lagged behind her slightly now, due to the fact she had hastened her steps. He was content to follow her at his own place, still wondering where she was dragging him to. This looked like the residential areas of Suna, a place he never thought he would have found himself in.

So engrossed was he in looking at the surroundings, that he almost bumped into her when she stopped suddenly. He caught himself in time, and leaned back to check out the house they were standing in front of. It was one of the more grand ones on the row, he had to say. Bigger than the rest, it was the same sand-color as the rest of the row. But there was a sense, that it was a place of importance. His curiosity piqued, he turned towards her and was about to ask her whose house it was when he suddenly caught sight of a familiar wooden puppet in the backyard.

She grinned openly at his consternation and shock. He stared back at her, wondering if she was for real. "Your brothers' place? Are you kidding me?"

She replied with a smirk, now that his earlier composure was gone. "It's my house too."

"Yeah but what are we doing here?" He asked again, hoping she was just kidding, that she just wanted to pick something up.

"Well… you wanted a place right?" She asked, tilting her head to one side. "A safe place as I recall."

He rolled his eyes at her, "Yes and safe being the key word." He wasn't that worried about Kankurou, but of someone else. He glanced at the house again, expecting Gaara to appear any minute. "There is no way I am going inside…"

However at this, her eyes flashed. "Gaara's not even home! And he's changed, you stupid baka!"

He looked at her, surprised at how angry she was. He stuck both hands inside his pockets, embarrassed and aware that he was deserving of the rebuke.

"There's no one home anyway." She said again, her eyes still flashing.

He nodded, too embarrassed to say anything. Damn! How did he manage to get himself involved in such troublesome situations? He was thinking of something to say, when he realized the implications of her words.

"No one at home?" He asked again, groaning to himself.

"Yeah. Isn't that better for you?" She asked, a questioning look on her face.

He groaned out loud this time. Was she even aware of what she had just insinuated. "Err… maybe this wasn't the best idea. It wouldn't be proper…"

She stared at him for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter, all former traces of anger gone. "Not proper? Who do you think you are?"

Feeling even more foolish, he tried to explain, "Its just tha-"

"Are you that afraid of me?" She asked again, through her laughter. "We have already slept in the same house as I recall."

His annoyance beginning to outgrow his embarrassment, he replied. "Yes but that was different. What would people say?" _Specifically, what would your brothers do to me if they found me in their house alone with their sister?_ But he didn't need to mention it out loud; it was already an obvious question.

"People won't say anything." She grinned at him. "If you were some hot, handsome guy, maybe it would be a problem. But believe me, why would they bother about a _kid_?"

Now embarrassed even more, both by the situation and insinuation, he tried again, "But what about your brothers?"

She gave him an exasperated sigh, tilting her head to one side, "Take it or leave it."

He decided to leave it. Turning around, he was about to walk off, when she grabbed him by his collar and dragged him inside.

Damn, she was strong. He could have still released himself, but he didn't want to have any sort of skin-to-skin contact with her. So he had to make do with twisting himself out of her grip.

"Violent woman, "He muttered under his breath.

"See? No monsters or little brothers around." She said, sweeping her hand across the room.

He adjusted his collar, as he looked around the room. It was pretty sparse, though there as still an element of grandness in the huge dining table in the center. There were three sofas by the front where it was cooler, and it was a little sandy_. Probably Gaara's fault_, he thought. All in all, he didn't really care much for it. Not that he really cared about most things.

He shrugged and turned to her. "But they'll be coming back soon right?"

She shook her head as she took off her fan and placed it on the dining table. "They're both on missions. Should be back in a couple of days at least." She stretched herself, feeling the tightness in her back muscles, not really caring that Shikamaru was there.

"Ok." He replied, not really sure how or what to do then. He took a step to wards her, glancing around the house, more importantly trying to ignore the sight of her stretching her arms above her head. Damn, if she didn't have a fine figure. He swallowed, realizing he was more nervous that he cared to show.

She didn't give any indication that she was aware of his mental state however, as she gestured for him to follow her. He walked up the stairs with her, trying to ignore their close proximity.

She stopped in the hallway at the second door. All the others were closed, he noted thankfully, hoping that she hadn't been kidding about her brothers. She stretched her hand out, as though to say Ta-da.

He was surprised to realize that the room didn't look anything like a psare room. In fact, it looked like it was currently being used. By a female, by the looks and smell of the room. He knew it; she was definitely crazy.

"Are you crazy woman? I can't sleep in your room!" He said, turning to stare at her in astonishment.

She rolled her eyes at him, "It's not my room, baka. I was just using it, temporarily you know, for sleeping mostly, while my room was being repaired." She glanced at the room again. "Its just that I haven't moved my stuff back into my own room."

When he continued to look disbelieving, she said again "Do you really think I would let you anywhere near _my_ room?"

She was right there. He looked around, still feeling uncomfortable. "Isn't there anywhere else?"

She gave him an innocent look, "Of course. You could try the other two rooms. Gaara's is a little sparse, but still quite nice. And Kankurou's isn't too bad either… though you have to watch out for Karasu's hands. It has a habit of… appearing in places it shouldn't be in." She said, finishing the last part with a smirk.

He looked at her, stricken by this information. If only he had run when the chance had presented itself.

She looked at him wickedly, this time "Well?"

Realizing that he was stuck, he tried one last question, "Why are you being so nice woman?" He asked suspiciously.

She snorted, "Because I am nice, pineapple head."

He gave her a look that clearly indicated his disbelief. She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "For god's sakes…"

She walked to the window to open it, and said, "I just don't like owing favors alright."

"Huh?" He said, confused. "What are you tal-" Ohhh… so that was it. He should have known. Temari was always a proud one. "But you don't have to actually lend your house you know. Anywhere is good enough…"

"I know, "She replied, now fluffing the pillows. "But this is the one place, where the ANBU won't come." She gave him a look, "You do know that Yara-kun would have asked them to find you right?"

He sighed, as he hung his head. He knew he couldn't escape forever. But he really did want to get some sleep. He nodded to her, before saying, "Thanks Temari."

She looked at him in amusement. "Wow. I feel honored." She moved to give him space to the bed, as she went to the door. "Well sweet dreams cry-baby…"

He didn't bother to answer this time, though he did smile to himself. He looked at the bed, considering whether he should use it or just lie on the floor. He decided there was no harm in the bed, and moved towards it. He took off his jacket, hanging it on the chair of the dresser, which lay some bottles and such. He moved closer, wondering what they were when he heard her voice again.

"Oh… and Shikamaru…" He turned to face her, wondering what it was now. She looked at him, from the door, this time not even a glint of amusement in her eyes. "If you go through any of my stuff, I'll cut off your hands."

He swallowed and nodded, taking a step away from the dresser. "Violent woman." He muttered again, under his breath. She gave him a smile, clearly hearing what he said, before turning and leaving.

_A few minutes later…_

Damn, this was not good. He had been yawning away in the meeting-room, but now he was so uncomfortable he couldn't feel sleepy. He shifted again, trying to get into another position. Why was he so uncomfortable? The bed was warm and soft, and even smelt nice-

He stopped. She had said she had been sleeping here for a while, hadn't she? He groaned to himself. That smell was her! No wonder he was so uncomfortable.

He blushed to himself, glad that there was no one there. The alluring sniff he had caught when she was near him was now amplified, even more that he was now very much aware that Temari had been in this bed just a few hours ago. Did she really smell so good? He was sure his face was now red, as he turned slightly to breathe in the pillow.

Now there was no way that he would be able to get any sort of sleep on this bed. He hadn't even known that he could be so affected by just the smell of her hair. He glanced at the slightly open door again, before burying his face in the pillow, feeling the blood in his face. He couldn't believe he was doing this. If anyone found out, or if she saw him, she would never let it go …ever! But still he could stop himself. He continued to breathe in deeply, feeling slightly intoxicated, wondering what it would be like to smell this scent at its source.

_At the same time…_

Temari had just finished washing her face and was drying off as she changed her blouse, being sure to lock her door. She wasn't lying when she said she wasn't afraid of him, but it still didn't hurt to be sure. Anyway he wasn't one of those horny, perverted teenagers. She went down the stairs, wondering if she should have not lied about her brothers. Kankurou was definitely coming back today, as well as Gaara, although he was coming at night.

They wouldn't actually hurt him, well… Kankurou wouldn't, though she wasn't sure about Gaara. He was quite overprotective of her at times, and even though guys had no longer been afraid to approach her, he still kept most of them from trying anything funny. Not that she needed his help. She didn't really find any of the guys that appealing enough to actually be anything more than friends. And that included Shikamaru, she reminded herself again.

She grinned to herself; if she had told him that Gaara would be back tonight, she was sure he would be a nervous wreck, no matter how cool he normally was. She stopped at the table, looking at her fan. Suddenly an idea had just popped into her head.

Stepping out the door, she stooped and grabbed a handful of sand, and quietly made her way back to the room she had left Shikamaru in.

_Inside the room_…

Shikamaru had finally managed to stop himself from breathing in the pillow's scent. Though he couldn't do anything, about the blood in his face. He couldn't believe himself; after all he wasn't some perverted guy to do such things. Like peek in her underwear drawer.

He groaned as he hit himself on the head. Where did that come from? He was beginning to sound like Kiba! If he actually did that, Temari would kill him, forget slicing his hands off. And not only that, who knew what Gaara would do to him? And Kankurou as well!

He shut his eyes, trying to force all the thoughts of Temari from his head. He was so engrossed in this process, that he wasn't really aware of what was going on at the door.

_Just outside the door…_

She took a quick glance in; good he had his eyes shut tight, though she noticed he was kind of red. She ignored it, slowly inching her hand inside the room, biting her lip to keep from saying anything. When she was sure she was close enough, she tossed the sand onto his face.

_On the bed…_

If he thought back to the time he had caught Gaara in Lee's room, trying to kill him, he had to admit he was terrified of him, even more so after the incident before Sasuke's and his match. Even though, he knew Gaara had changed, he was still sure Suna's ultimate weapon would still kill anyone who messed with his sister. That thought, accompanied by the guilt of the current thoughts of Temari flowing through his head, were set off by the feeling of sand suddenly falling on his face.

His eyes flew open, and he jumped from the bed, though tripping on the blanket and falling to the floor. He turned his head wildly trying to find Gaara, his heart beating uncontrollably, convinced that Gaara had come to take revenge for the thoughts in his head. All thoughts of calm and his seals went out his head, as he tried to stand and focus on his surroundings.

It was only when he heard a female voice burst out laughing, that he realized what had actually happened.

_Temari…_

Never, in all her life, could she remember having ever been so tickled. She was almost bent double, as she laughed and laughed. She had been expecting a reaction, but not like this! She wished that there had been more people to watch the 'cool' Shikamaru freak! She was aware that tears were flowing down her cheeks, as she leaned weakly against the door. She tried to say something, to stop laughing for a second and just say something, but she couldn't. She finally managed to, seeing Shikamaru pick himself up, though she was still giggling.

She bit her lip, trying her best not to see in her mind's eye, the sight of Shikamaru jumping from the bed. She looked at him, knowing full well, that there was nothing he could do escape what had just happened.

_Shikamaru…_

He had never been so embarrassed in his entire life. Never ever. Goddamned woman. He cursed her in his head, as he tried to stop himself from blushing. She was still – damn her! - giggling as she tried to say something. _Sorry_, he realized, though she only managed to get as far as 'so' before breaking down again.

He had no comeback; nothing he could do could top her right now. He didn't even have his dignity anymore. All previous thoughts of Temari had vanished from his head, and he considered just walking and leaving the house. But he wasn't a petty guy; he had to admit she got him good. And leaving would make him look kind of petty. But it was better than having to deal with this troublesome woman anymore.

He dropped the pillow onto the bed and tried to leave the room when he was stopped by her. "Sorry," She said, having mastered herself, though he cold still see the glint of amusement in her eyes. "I really am."

That really did sound almost sincere. But not enough. He didn't respond, just tried to push her out of the way.

"Look, I'm really sorry ok? It was just a joke… Come on." She said again, realizing for her part, that she had embarrassed him quite a bit. "It won't happen again, I promise."

He continued to look at her blankly, making her feel slightly guilty. "Please?" She said, feeling she could afford to be a little nicer.

He relented, hearing her use the word 'please'. Still not showing any emotion, he turned back and went to the bed and lay down on it. He lay on his side, not facing her, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. She wanted to tease him, not alienate him! Maybe she had gone too far this time. She considered saying something, but couldn't think of anything to say.

She bit her lip, her mood now slightly crestfallen. She turned to walk out the door, guilty about the way things had ended up. _Nice work, Temari. _What did she expect honestly? Anyone would have gotten angry at such a trick; not to mention she had also inadvertedly insulted her own brother. Well at least, he had still gone back to the bed. But she wondered if that was it for this weird friendship.

Now, Temari didn't know everything about Shikamaru. Because if she had asked any Konoha shinobi, they would have told her the same thing; Shikamaru had never been a petty guy.

True enough, just as she was about to leave, she clearly heard him mutter, "Troublesome woman." She turned around in astonishment, just in time to see the corner of his lips, curve in a smile. She felt herself grin, as she backed out of the room.

As she walked down the stairs, she had to admit... maybe he was... something.


	7. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 5

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 5**

**Dinner with Karasu. **

Shikamaru woke up with a start. Eh? Where the hell was he?

He glanced around, taking in everything around him slowly. Oh yeah… He was in Temari's place. It was already evening he realized, looking at the darkening sky. He stretched, still feeling slightly drowsy. That had been a good nap, he thought, no interruptions at all. One thing bad about sleeping in the park was the many troublesome, noisy things around. Not to mention, the insects and ants that sometimes got the idea that a sleeping body was an island to be explored. Thinking about it, he was really glad there were no ants. He sat up and cracked his neck muscles, all the while brushing himself off as it was a little sandy around the bed…

_Shit_. His gaze shot to the door which was still closed. He relaxed; this sand must have been from when that troublesome woman had played her troublesome joke. Her brothers were nowhere in sight, and not that they should be. She had promised him that they weren't supposed to be back for another few days. She had promised…

He groaned to himself. _What had he been thinking?_ The chances of her telling the truth were already a minimum and he had actually taken her word? By the gods! He was getting pretty dull! He swung himself off the bed onto the floor. He couldn't really hear any noise to indicate that there was anyone around. He frowned; didn't she say she would be back by now?

Damn it all. Why had he even stayed in the first place? This was getting too, too troublesome. And it was all because of that Yara. Or rather Anko. No… actually, it was Ino's fault for forcing him to come here. But hadn't he come here because Ino had threatened to blackmail him because of Temari?

_One full circle_, he thought_. All back to this troublesome woman_. She had let/forced him to stay at her place to pay him back for the time in Konoha, so this meant they were even. And he meant to keep it that way. If there was nothing else he would accomplish in this trip, he would make sure that he would not meet up or talk or even cross her path again. Earlier, he had been able to brush off her irritating prank as he had been 'considering' other issues. As embarrassed as he was, he still recognized it as a good joke.

But from this moment on, Nara Shikamaru wanted to have nothing to do with Sabakuno Temari.

First thing to do was to get out of this house. He grabbed his jacket and put it on, this time ignoring the dresser. Slowly he went to the door, and tried to listen carefully. Nothing. _Good_, he thought. He had actually been considering leaving through the window, but doing so would have really made him feel like a thief.

Besides what was there to be scared off? She invited him. She had practically forced him to stay, in her room no less, when no one else was around. He wondered if that line of reasoning would work if her brothers caught him here. And considering it, imagine if they caught him sneaking from the window. Then they would really think that he had been up to something sneaky and he doubted if any excuse would be able to save him.

Also there was another reason; he was just too damn lazy now to do anything else. He had already spent one troublesome afternoon hiding from one irritating fellow, and it had been a real chore, which had culminated in his current predicament. He decided that if they bumped into each other tomorrow, he would just do the goddamned reports. And kill Anko when he got back, if it wasn't too troublesome.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, checking to see if any of the other doors were also opened. Nope, which was another good sign. As stealthily as possible, but without making it seem he _was_ trying to hide, he walked/tiptoed towards the stairs.

He nearly reached it, when he heard the scraping. Thinking back, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised when he heard a door open. Or hear laughter behind him, and sand brushing past his shoulders. He would never, ever trust Temari again.

He sighed as he turned around, as calmly as possible, he noted Gaara standing in the center of the hallway, while Kankuro stood in the doorway of the room down the hall, and he thought to himself, _Never, ever trust her again_.

But considering the circumstances, he had to acknowledge that actually, it was thanks to Temari's joke earlier that really enabled him to face them both coolly. It was with slight embarrassment that he remembered how he had over-reacted earlier to her amusement. But he wasn't about to give these two the same amusement.

He tried forcing the laziest expression he had onto his face, which actually was pretty easy. He even found himself about to yawn as he looked at them; Kankuro grinning while Gaara continued to stare at him with his expressionless face.

"What do we have here? A sneaky, little punk wandering where he shouldn't be?" Kankuro spoke first, smirking as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Gaara didn't speak, but Shikamaru noted his little frown. "What's more, from my sister's room!" continued Kankuro his grin increasing. Gaara didn't respond again, but he could swear he felt the sand sort of caress his legs.

_Her room? That lying, deceiving- Not now, _he told himself. Shikamaru replied lazily, "Watch it yeah… She invited me here."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow at him, "You telling me to watch it, in my house?!"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Sorry… Just didn't want you to jump to conclusions."

Kankuro snorted and was about to say something when Gaara beat him to it. "Then what are you doing here then? And why were you in Temari's room?"

Shikamaru was smart enough to change his approach when dealing with Gaara. Probably Naruto was the only one who could get away with being a smart-ass with him. "I needed a place to rest, and she offered to let me rest here."

Kankuro spoke out again, "Don't you have a hotel or something? Why on earth would you need to come here?"

Now getting slightly irritated, he replied. "There was an… issue at my hotel. Temari ordered me to come here."

Gaara stared back at him, before questioning, "Ordered?"

Shikamaru looked at him carefully, "No offense… but do you really think I would have come here myself? She refused to let me go anywhere else. She said she had to pay me back."

Again, Gaara shot back, "For?"

Thankfully, this time Kankuro answered. "It was for that time in Konoha. Remember, I told you about it." He nudged Gaara slightly on the shoulder. Gaara turned to him slightly, still frowning.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, his gaze still on Shikamaru.

Kankuro nodded, "Yeah. I met her in the afternoon when I came home. She told me he was here."

Shikamaru, who had been slouching, stood up straight. He glared at the older shinobi, "If you already knew… then why-"

"Because it's fun." Kankuro replied with a smirk. Shikamaru bit back a groan; this guy was most definitely her brother. Gaara didn't say anything, but the frown on his face didn't disappear.

"But in her room?" Gaara asked again.

"You _know_ Temari." replied Kankuro with a sigh. It wasn't so much a reply as a more of a general statement, which coincidentally, everyone seemed to understand. Shikamaru actually found himself _nodding_ with Gaara and Kankuro on this subject of Temari's stubbornness. At least they all agreed on something.

Catching himself, he coughed before saying, "Then please excuse me. I have to return to my hotel." He turned around trying to make a break for it, before they started asking more questions.

"Actually…" came Kankuro behind him. He stopped, and turned around, cursing his luck. Every time he almost got out, they just kept dragging him back in. "I have something to talk to you about." Kankuro said, as he uncrossed his arms and walked towards him.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "About?"

"Some _important_ issues that we need to discuss." Kankuro replied, coming to stand in front of him. "Isn't that right, Gaara?"

Sneaky bastard, using Gaara to make sure Shikamaru wouldn't say no. He knew he didn't really have a choice now, so he just nodded unenthusiastically. Walking next to him, Kankuro said, "Walk with me."

He followed, noting also that Gaara wasn't following, which was a surprise. He wasn't sure what these two were up to, but they were Temari's brothers which meant that it was most definitely something bad.

Downstairs, Shikamaru was about to say something when he started in surprise. Gaara was _already seated_ on the dining table! Across from that idiotic puppet of Kanakuro, Karasu, in fact. He stared a little, wondering how that had happen. Gaara just continued to sit there coolly, staring at Shikamaru all the while.

Kankuro bit back a grin. Teleporting himself with his sand was a favorite trick of Gaara, and they had used it for just one reason; to make this kid uneasy. Kankuro knew that the punk was quite cool under pressure, and he wanted him uneasy and scared of them both.

He had succeeded slightly with this aim though not enough. Shikamaru was over his surprise, and was not so much scared as he was completely resigned to the fact that something troublesome was about to happen. Kankuro sat at the edge of one side, and motioned him to sit at the other end. Once seated, he realized he was positioned in such a way that the lights were shining into his eyes.

This wasn't a discussion; it was an interrogation.

He coughed, taking the chance to adjust the chair at a slight angle, which allowed him to keep the light out of his eyes and still look at them. They may have been older or more powerful (or a puppet), but they still didn't have the upper hand as of yet. They continued to stare at him though, and he noted, shuddering slightly, that even Karasu had suddenly turned its head to stare at him.

Kankuro smiled to himself; the kid was handling it better than he thought, with the exception of that shudder, but that was to be expected. Everyone found Karasu kind of creepy. He kept silent a few minutes longer, hoping that the combined stares of him and his brother would further unnerved the kid.

Once again, the knowledge of the Sabakuno's household of the Nara's was proven to be greatly limited. Silence was nothing new to the Nara's, with the possible exception of the Shikamaru's mother. The Nara men loved silence; they adored it; they could have lived on it for days, weeks, even months! Everyone in Konoha knew better than to try and intimidate Shikamaru this way. Even the Godaime, for one, knew how impossible it was, having tried, and finally after 20 minutes of ignored silence, had found herself getting bothered.

Shikamaru grinned to himself as he regarded them. Kankuro and his posse of little brothers and puppets could have tried it as long as they wanted to; they would never succeed. He started to lean back into the chair, getting himself a little more comfortable.

Kankuro saw this, and decided to change tactics. "So," He barked at the kid, hoping to jolt him a little. He tilted his head to the side, assuming a look of what he thought was friendly, "How are you?"

This was so far from what Shikamaru had been expecting, that he was momentarily confused. "Err… I'm fine?"

"Good!" replied Kankuro heartily, "Good! That's good to hear!" He paused, turning to give Gaara a little glance. "You want to stay that way don't you?"

_Let the nonsense begin_, Shikamaru thought. "It's preferable." He replied lazily.

"Yes… that's what I want to hear." Kankuro nodded again. "So… as you may have guessed, we wanted to discuss something with you. More specifically, Temari."

Shikamaru had to force himself not to show any reaction. "Temari?"

"Yes," said Kankuro, watching him carefully, "Temari. My sister."

"Ok," Shikamaru shrugged. "What about her?"

"Well," drawled Kankuro, "first… we wanted to know…hmmm… what you think about her."

He nearly swallowed his tongue. It was impossible not to show a reaction, but he did manage to keep it down to a minimum. He wanted to wipe the sudden sweat on his palms off but that would make him seem, nervous, or even guilty! Keeping his voice light, he replied "I don't think anything about her."

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "I meant what is your opinion of her, you idiot... though," He paused, giving Shikamaru a look, "we'll get back to what you were just talking about."

_Great_, he thought. "Well… I-"

"What?" cut in Kankuro.

"I …she's…well-" He continued, getting more and more uncomfortable.

"She's what?" Gaara's turn to cut in.

"You know… she's…"

"I don't know. What?"

"She's… err…"

"What? It's a simple question kid!"

"She's… not… so-"

"She's not?" Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"Err… I mean…well… I meant she's quite-"

"Nice? You telling me you think Temari's _nice_?"

"No! She's just-"

"You think my sister is nice?! How dare you!"

"I didn't say that!" Shikmaru snapped back at Kankuro.

"Then she's not nice?" Gaara asked coolly.

"Y-yes… I mean, no!" He stammered. Damn the both of them! He glanced around the room, forcing himself to catch his breath, well aware of the pleased smirk on Kankuro's face. This was becoming embarrassing; why was he getting so flustered? He exhaled, composing himself, before turning back to face them both.

"She's alright." He said nonchalantly, trying to make it seem like the last few minutes had never occurred.

Kankuro looked at him for a few seconds, before bursting out in a laugh, "Don't worry kid; we were just messing with you. Isn't that right Gaara?" He asked, glancing at his younger brother. The frown did not go away. "Well I was… "muttered Kankuro with a glance at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru didn't bother to reply. He closed his eyes, ignoring them both. How could he lose control like that? Getting himself flustered over a simple question that was just a _joke_. What _was_ it about this girl? As he walked down this path of self-questioning, he began to vaguely get an idea that he was not yet comfortable with. It was a path that he had never bothered to explore, but one that it seemed may have a big role to play in the next few minutes. He paused in his mind, uncertain and unsure of where he was going; only knowing that he wasn't ready.

Thankfully, before he could get further, he was interrupted. "Oi… what the hell… are you sleeping!?"

He opened one eye to stare at Kankuro, who continued, smirking, "You've been asleep all afternoon and you still haven't had enough. You are one lazy ass…" Karasu nodded, apparently agreeing and grinning as well.

Shikamaru's eye twitched. If it wasn't for the fact that Gaara could have easily crushed him, he would have just stood up and walked out of the damn room. But even so, compared to his siblings, he looked like the _sane_ one. He looked over at Karasu, aware of the fact that he was now acknowledging the presence of the puppet.

"Anything else?" He asked trying to keep his voice from showing his irritation.

Again, Kankuro paused before answering, looking at him, considering. "You've met my sister… you know that she's always… err…," He glanced sideways at Gaara. "Let's say… in a _bad_ mood."

Again, they all had to nod their heads (including that damned puppet!). Shikamaru looked at him, considering his words, wondering where he was going. That was true, compared to when she was hanging around in Konoha, she seemed to get angry faster and more irritated since he had come here. But on the other hand…

"But… since _you_'ve been here… well… she's been cheering up a little." He continued shrugging.

This time, Shikamaru was aware of the implications of those words. He replied uncomfortably. "Come on. The only thing she seems to do is get angry at me for god knows what…it's not like I… well… cheer her-"

"But you do." cut in Kankuro meaningfully. "She always seems to be in a better mood when _you_ are around."

"But… the three of us have managed to figure it out." Kankuro said, grinning at Gaara. "It took us a little time… but we finally know why!"

All Shikamaru could do was stare back, a little terrified at where this was going.

**Finally, I break my silence! Sorry for taking so long to update. I can imagine how irritated people are with me (I hope, better than having them forget about me!).**

**But I hope I could at least show my apologies by churning out over 6 lengthy chapters. I know quantity doesn't equal quality, but I've tried my best to follow my own vision for these two 'lovebirds'. Thanks to all the kind reviews. I appreciate especially all those who gave more detail on how they think the story is developing. Whether it's still in character, or way too absurd. Let me know yeah…**

m.r.j


	8. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 6

**_Thank you for all the reviews, for those who actually bothered. I know i cant expect many seeing as how i made people wait for so long, but i hope i can satisfy those who have started to read. Again thanks to all those who gave me their thoughts. Your words have helped me focus bit on what i may need to do in the future!_**

**Dedicated to a certain someone who wanted to read the next chapter before leaving for Germany.**

**Just because i didn't mention you doesn't mean i didn't remember you. Thanks again.**

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 6**

_This time, Shikamaru was aware of the implications of those words. He replied uncomfortably. "Come on. The only thing she seems to do is get angry at me for god knows what…it's not like I… well… cheer her-"_

"_But you do." cut in Kankuro meaningfully. "She always seems to be in a better mood when you are around."_

_He stared back, a little terrified at where this was going. _

"_But… the three of us have managed to figure it out." Kankuro said, grinning at Gaara. "It took us a little time… but we know why!"_

**Every Princess needs a Jester**

Shikamaru coughed, raising his hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Ok…"

"You see…," Kankuro paused dramatically, "You…entertain her!"

Shikamaru sweat-dropped. "Excuse me? Entertain her?"

"Yes," continued Kankuro cheerfully. "Like a clown entertains people!"

He sweat-dropped again, unsure whether to feel relieved or insulted. Insulted at being called a clown, but relieved that the conversation had stepped away from dangerous territory. Rolling it in his mind, he found that as relieved as he was, there was a part of him that was slightly disappointed. But he pushed back that thought.

He stretched his arms above his head, yawning. "So…?"

"So…" Kankuro grinned at him, "We want you to keep her entertained -She's a princess, you know- and every princess needs a jester!"

"No! Absolutely not." He stated emphatically. Both brothers stared at him, probably a little surprised at his reply. Let them be, he didn't want anything to do with her anymore, forget what some parts of his mind thought.

"She's got a million fans; get one of them to do this." He continued toning down his voice slightly.

Once more, Kankuro paused, looking at Gaara, who also glanced back at him. After a few seconds, Gaara gave him a slight nod. Nodding back, Kankuro turned to him. "None of them can do this. Even Seima can't seem to cheer her up that much."

"Still no," Shikamaru replied shaking his head, but all the while thinking, _who on earth was Seima?_ Her boyfriend? Temari had a boyfriend? Then why was she hanging around with him? Why all the suggestive teasing?

"Besides I've seen her around Suna. She's always smiling at them all. She's way nicer to everyone else then she ever is to me." He continued with a matter-of-fact look at Gaara, hoping he wouldn't guess what was currently flowing through the Konoha shinobi's head.

Kankuro gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course she has to be! But that's not really-"

"Kankuro." Interrupted Gaara, with a frown. Kankuro stopped, frowning back. After a few seconds, he continued, "Temari just finds you entertaining all right?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Am I wearing a red nose and big shoes?" to which Kankuro rolled his eyes and snorted.

He closed his eyes again, pondering what had been going through his thoughts. Considered the last few times he had been 'hanging' with her. Nothing in her actions had indicated a boyfriend, or had he mis-read her? And what about that kiss? Ok, so it was only on the cheek but…

He ignored the two brothers who seemed to be arguing over something quietly. What was Temari thinking? If she was attached, why did she 'drag' him in like this? Why spend so much time on him?

Hmmm… maybe she really had just wanted to be friends. In that case, he was thankful he hadn't done anything to suggest otherwise. Not that he had thought otherwise, of course, he assured himself. This was a good thing, he reminded himself, she didn't want that kind of relationship with him. He should be happy…

The discussion the two siblings were having seemed to be getting more heated. He couldn't read lips, but he was sure it was something to do with Kankuro wanting to tell something and Gaara not wanting to. He wondered if he should cut in; after all he didn't want to be here any longer than he had to. He looked at the door, wondering where Temari was.

"Ok kid… it's like this. 'Kankuro said, with a meaningful glance at him. Looked like he won the argument, thought Shikamaru. "I'll say this in a way, you'll understand." He got up and started walking around the table. "Temari gets very happy when she gets to… make fun of someone. Like you, in this case."

"But other times, she looks happy, but she's not really so happy… you see what I'm talking about right?" Kankuro asked him.

Shikamaru stared back at him. "I don't think even the puppet understood."

"Puppet?" replied Kankuro in surprise, "You mea-" He stopped and gave Shikamaru an exasperated look.

"She enjoys teasing you." cut in Gaara quietly. "It makes her bad mood… lessen."

"Exactly! Thank you, Gaara!" Kanakuro nodded heartily to his brother. "So you see we want you to make her _not _be in such a bad mood."

"Which means you want me to let her make fun of me?" asked Shikamaru with an unbelieving stare. "You've got to be kidding me."

"It's no joke. Do you know how many people would give their arms for this assignment?" asked Kankuro seriously. "And out of all them… we chose you! You should be honored!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you just say that I was the only one who _could_ do it? In other words you had no choice, right?"

Gaara slapped his forehead as Kankuro stopped pacing. He looked at Shikamaru guiltily. "Err… I said that? No…I meant…of course… there are actually many people who…" Kankuro rolled his eyes, "Oh for god sakes can you just do it?"

"No. It's too troublesome dealing with her. Find some other jester." Shikamaru said, standing up preparing to leave.

"Kid, you don't understand." Kankuro replied, slamming his hands on the table. "You have to help us! Our lives depend on it!"

That made him pause. "Your lives?"

"Yes…"said Kankuro, hanging his head low. "Our very lives…and stomachs."

"Huh?" replied a confused Shikamaru. "How are your stomach and lives connected?"

"All right kid. I'm going to tell you something very secret, that you can never repeat to anyone in this world." Kankuro sat back down, looking at Gaara for confirmation.

His curiosity now piqued, he also sat back down, wondering what was going on. Kankuro looked around, trying to find the appropriate words. "Well… you see… when Temari's angry, or in a bad mood, she …. Very badly."

Shikamaru leaned closer, "What? I didn't hear clearly."

Kankuro leaned in as well towards him, and whispered, "In a bad mood, Temari… cooks very badly!"

Completely non-plussed now, Shikamaru sat back. His first thought was that it was a joke, and it was on his lips to make a sarcastic comment. But the words died as he viewed the scene before him; Kankuro was looking at him in sorrow, while even Gaara seemed a little pained.

Shikamaru stared at both of them, "You want me to keep her happy so she'll cook well?"

"Cook well? Its average at best, "Kankuro snorted, though he stopped and looked at the door. Temari _was_ on her way back. He continued in a softer tone, "When she's ok, the food isn't so bad. But when she's angry, she tends to burn stuff. Or undercook it. Or add too much miso. Or add too little."

"In other words, it's a cooking disaster when she's upset." This from Gaara, which underlined just how dire the situation was, in their mind. Shikamaru bit back a laugh. The vessel for the dreaded monster was asking him to make his big sister cook nice food.

"So… don't eat." Shikamaru shrugged. "It's not like she's forcing you t… Oh what am I saying..." He groaned, realizing, seeing in his mind's eye, Temari standing over her brothers with her fan, forcing them to eat.

"Exactly. The last few weeks… have been hell." Kankuro got up, walking over to keep a wary eye on the window. "I don't want to say it, but I was almost thankful when she got injured and had to stay in the hospital."

He continued, sighing, "I don't know why she's suddenly so anal about this, but we have to eat at home a lot nowadays. And I can't take, starting the day eating charcoal. And neither can you Gaara. "He said to his younger brother who was frowning slightly. Gaara looked away before nodding reluctantly.

"Look, "began Shikamaru, "I don't know how I can help you."

"Just entertain her. Make her laugh, let her make fun of you, that sort of thing." Kankuro said, excited now that Shikamaru was considering. "Just keep her… _not_ angry!"

Seeing Shikamaru pause uncertainly, he decided to play his last card. "Look kid, I'll make it clear. If you don't do this, I'll make life a living, _troublesome_ hell for you as long as you are here, and every time you come back."

He grinned as Shikamaru stared at him with an irritated face. "Ever had sand up where you can't imagine? Imagine that every day." He said, nodding to Gaara who had again adopted his expressionless face. "Try having sand in all your clothes, in your food, in your hair!"

"That's right, "He continued, beginning to enjoy himself. He walked over to Karasu. "Also imagine, having someone watch you all day long. In bed, in the room, in the bathroom even!"

Karasu, seemingly, turned his head towards Shikamaru. Shikamaru shuddered, seeing the empty eyes. He turned back to Kankuro's exultant face and sighed resignedly.

"Great!" said Kankuro clasping his hands. "You should start immediately, but not tonight. It's quite late already." He added looking out the window. "So tomorrow understand? I don't have another mission for a few days."

Shikamaru stood up slowly, his spirit almost crushed. He sighed again, as he walked dejectedly over to the door, when Kankuro called out again.

"And one more thing kid..." Kankuro said, menacingly. We're asking you, to entertain her. NOT put the moves on her."

Shikamaru swallowed, and turned around to face both shinobis who were staring at him dangerously. He said nervously, "I wouldn't-"

"Then keep it that way!" Kankuro shot back. "If you so much as lay a finger on her... or a _lip…_He he…Karasu will be visiting you."

"And you don't want him visiting you." He trailed off, pulling a finger over his neck. Karasu tittered in agreement as Shikamaru gulped.

Kankuro grinned, "And after I'm done with you, let me show you what will happen."

He picked a fork from the table, and threw it towards Shikamaru. Before it could hit him however, it was a stopped in mid-air by sand. As the Konoha shinobi watched, the fork was covered in sand, as Gaara sat calmly, his outstretched fingers slowly closing into a fist.

When he opened his fingers, the now completely destroyed fork dropped to the table with a sorrowful klunk.

"I know she kissed your cheek back then. But it was just a thank-you, understand?" said Kankuro walking over to him. "She's not interested in you that way… so don't get any ideas." smirked Kankuro.

"I won't." muttered Shikamaru, cursing under his breath. "Can I go now?" He stood up, not waiting for an answer. Thankfully, neither called him back. He continued to curse as he walked all the way back to the hotel. He cursed as he washed up. He cursed as he lay down in the bed. Troublesome, the whole thing was troublesome.

He wondered what would happen if he just returned to Konoha now, forget the talks. Just ran away from the freaks in the Sabakuno household. Something bad, he supposed; but not bad enough as what he was supposed to accomplish the next few days. Keep her happy? Let her insult him? He was going to do all this voluntarily? For god's sakes… Now he couldn't even avoid her if he wanted to.

As he fell asleep, a thought ran through his mind… who the hell was Seima?

_**Back at Sabakuno household…**_

Watching Shikamaru walk off, Gaara turned to look at Kankuro. "Has Temari ever allowed you in her room?"

"You mean without cracking my head with her fan?" snorted Kankuro. "Of course not! She doesn't let anyone inside there!"

"Then… what do we do about this guy?" Gaara said, turning to look in the direction that Shikamaru had left.

"We watch him." Kankuro laughed menacingly.

"We watch him, very carefully."

**_Epilogue…_**

He laughed as evilly as possible, jerking his fingers to make Karasu laugh as well. After a while, he stopped, rolling his eyes at his silent younger brother.

"Gaara… that was the cue for evil laugh."


	9. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 7

**Slow and steady, here we go. Things are going to start changing between them soon. Remember this is all leading to a climax that will affect them both! **

**Thanks to all those who reviewed.**

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 6**

**Moonlight Meeting (Stalking?)**

He yawned as he sat hunched over the reports. After the first fifty, he wasn't even sure if he was still correcting them properly. It didn't help that Anko also had atrocious handwriting. In fact it looked like some animal had done the scribbling.

Why was it that he always seemed to be unable to catch a break? Suna was arguably one of the most unlucky places he had ever been in. Everything seemed out to get him. Thankfully at least, Yara had spoken to Akane-san to allow him to skip the meetings and finish up the reports. Yeah, some consolation that was. It was like out of the pan, and into the fire. At least during the meetings, he could still sleep

He grinned to himself, seeing the expression on the Konoha mediators if he were to lie down and take a quick nap in front of everyone. There would be a complain in this to the Hokage, he was sure. But he could take it. This would be the last time he ever got assigned to such a nonsensical mission. (Well, he had volunteered, but that wasn't the issue when one ranted.

He hoped Ino's roses would die. He hoped Ino would not be able to enter the competition. He hoped Anko would choke on her dango. He hoped Yara would get his ass kicked soon.

He released a long sigh, as he placed the last report on the completed pile. It was late night, he noticed, looking at the window. It was over and with it, went all his anger towards his tormentors. One thing he always felt was, it was too troublesome to stay angry for long at anyone. He had at most a day or two left in this town, and once he was done, he would plan to ensure he never had to come back. He lay back in his chair and yawned

Hmm… He was a little hungry, but he doubted there were any shops still open at this late hour. Even if there were, he didn't feel like wandering around looking for it. Essentially, he was too lazy to go get some food. He smiled, knowing that Chouji would throw a fit if he heard that.

He had also skipped out on doing another 'mission' that he had promised to, upon the pain of sand. And he was quite glad to see that there had been no puppets following him around. That Kankuro was quite a character to describe him mildly. A more apt description was nutcase. He pitied any guy that ever got involved with Temari.

All the more reason for him not to harbor any thoughts about her. He hadn't seen her the whole day; being cooped up in a small room with paperwork had its privileges after all. And at this hour he was sure he wouldn't see her.

He frowned as he stood up. That sounded like a self-fulfilling curse. Damn! He shouldn't have thought anything. Just to be safe, he would look both ways before walking back tonight. He closed the door behind him, nodding to the shinobi Yara had assigned to watch over him. The shinobi didn't say anything, though he did give Shikamaru a strange look as he let him out the bottom floor. He shrugged; he couldn't give a damn right now what the man was thinking. He looked around the streets; there weren't that many people around at this hour, and most of the shops looked closed. Oh well… Too bad about dinner.

Feeling slightly cold, he stuck his hands inside his pockets as he walked. His thoughts, now lacking any real focus, threatened to return back to a troublesome woman, but he diverted them, thinking about one of the last few times he played shougi with Asuma. It was bad luck to think about her, he reflected, the worse thing that could happen right now was…

To have her walking in front of him.

He just _couldn't_ catch a single break.

* * *

He ducked behind a building, hoping she hadn't heard or seen any presence of him. Screw what Gaara and Kankuro wanted him to do! Let them throw all the sand they wanted; he was _not_ getting involved with the woman. He groaned as another thought struck him; he didn't even know this village well enough to take an alternate route back to his hotel! Grumbling, he decided to wait till he couldn't see her anymore before continuing on his way. 

He stared at the heavens, feeling that they too were playing games with him. "You've got to be kidding me!" He said exasperatedly. "I mean come on!" he continued, glaring into the night sky. "Its _god-knows_ what time! She can't be _coincidentally_ walking here at the same time!"

He leaned back against the wall, cursing his lack of luck. What had he done to deserve this? Troublesome was no longer an appropriate word; it was too mild to describe the situation he was in.

Of course, again he could just be over-reacting. Probably she was just leaving the advisors' block at the same time. And it wasn't like she had heard or seen him yet. Even if she did, it wasn't like she would have stopped to talk to him. He nodded to himself, he _was_ over-reacting. All he had to do was wait a few more minutes till she was off on her own way.

He snuck a look around the corner of the building. Nope… she was nowhere in sight. Feeling better, he continued on his way, almost feeling the urge to whistle. (But it was too troublesome to do so.)

As he walked, even though there weren't many people around, he realized that there were some who were giving him strange looks; much like the shinobi back at the government building. He noted them out of the corner of his eye, wondering what had happened.

Despite being engrossed in this, he still managed to notice in time, that Temari was standing at the junction in front, talking to someone. Ok…Sneaking into an alley wasn't the best idea currently, so he decided to just blend into the shadows. He was still far away enough that she shouldn't notice him. He leaned back, nodding nonchalantly to anyone looking at him, trying to make it seem like this was the most normal thing to do.

A few thoughts struck him as he now had the chance to observer Temari. First of all, she wasn't carrying her fan. That was weird; he had never seen her walking around without it. It was tantamount to him walking around without his…

Hmmm…

Ok, he wasn't _really_ attached to anything. But you got the picture. Anyway the girl Temari was talking to was leaving, waving her goodbyes. Good, he was getting tired of leaning here. But Temari didn't leave immediately; she just continued to stand in place, glancing at the signposts, probably thinking of something.

_Troublesome woman!_ Even when she didn't mean to, she still managed to irritate and inconvenience him. He wondered if he could sneak past her towards the left, or just jump over the buildings, and cut through. Temari would never know who it was. Although leaping around another village at this hour… the ANBU might then have something to say to him after that.

He wondered what she was thinking about; if he remembered correctly, her house was to the right, towards the residential area. What on earth did she have to ponder at this particular place? He couldn't see the expression on her face, but he could see her clenching her fists. Hmm… probably angry at someone again. He allowed himself a grin, knowing she couldn't see him.

He was feeling quite relaxed, so it was with a jolt, that he realized that she had taken a step to the left.

_What the hell?_

Her house was the other way! What the hell was she doing! She took another step towards the left, coming to stand in front of the street sign. He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes as he prayed; just let her be thinking about something, let her just turn around now and go home. He would be nicer to Ino, he would buy Chouji more food, he would let Asuma win in Shougi, he wouldn't call his mum troublesome…

* * *

He glared irritatedly at the sky as Temari carried on towards the left.

* * *

What was he supposed to do now? Just stand here and wait till she disappeared? He was already tired, being stuck in that small stuffy room all day in the oppressive heat. He was hungry, sleepy and irritated. And coincidentally, here _she_ was, just being troublesome. It was as though she was doing this on purpose. 

He decided to give her a few minutes, before continuing. What was she up anyway at this hour? He wondered if she was meeting up with someone… Probably Seima. Hmph, thought Shikamaru, with a distinctly uncomfortable shrug. It wasn't his business so he didn't care where she went at this hour, or who she went to meet.

Suddenly, he felt irritated by himself. Was he just going to let her control him without her even knowing? He decided to go on his way; if he did bump into her, he would just ignore her. _Hah!_ He thought, that would show her! After all, this tactic had worked _so_ well the last few days

Ok, he was now aware that he was starting to be sarcastic with himself.

He actually felt the urge to stomp his way forward, just to show that he wasn't going to be 'controlled' by her. But he resisted the urge. Just because he wasn't afraid, didn't mean he wanted to bump into her. He paused every few steps, making sure that she was still a good distance in front of him. After a while, he realized that she was no longer in front of him. Which probably meant that she had gone on her own way.

Now he felt better, raising his eyes to the stars above, thanking them silently. He would definitely have to get a heavier breakfast tomorrow before he arrived for the meetings. He wondered how they had proceeded today without him; probably Akane-san got a chance to rest her eyebrows which seemed to constantly shoot up whenever he yawned.

The sidewalk in front of him was nothing great. There was a building and a slightly dark alley by the side. It wasn't that scary, even though there was no one around. Never had it crossed Shikamaru's mind to be the slightest bit wary as he walked.

Before he realized, he was suddenly grabbed and slammed against the wall. But just because he was taken off guard, didn't mean he didn't react. He knocked his attackers' grip off his shirt, ducked and swept his legs. His attacker fell and flipped up in a somersault, moving backwards to give himself space. Shikamaru rolled himself to one side, and took out a kunai. It was pretty dark, but it didn't mean there were no shadows.

He was just about to throw the kunai when the moonlight, gave him a quick glimpse of his attacker.

How the fates must have been laughing.

* * *

"Are you crazy!?" He glared at her as he got to his feet. "Why did you attack me?!" 

"Me?!" Temari replied angrily, in a low voice, almost whispering. "Why were you following me?!"

"Following you?! I was going back to my hotel, you crazy woman!" He shot back, just as angrily. "Why the hell would I follow you?!"

She stared at him furiously, starting to get embarrassed. He was right… why did she over-react? "Then why were you walking so softly and stopping every few steps?!" She asked back, hoping to mask her embarrassment in anger. "You were walking like a thief!"

He didn't answer, but she was sure she saw a slight blush. "You were following me!"

"For god's sakes woman, I wasn't trying to follow you!" He whispered harshly at her, his irritation at her getting the best of him before he could realize the mistake he was about to make. "I was trying to avoid you!"

Temari blinked at him in surprise. She backed away from him, turning her eyes away but not before he could see the slightest bit of hurt in them.

"Oh." She said, pretending to tidy her clothes, looking at anywhere but him. "Ok." What an idiot she was for jumping to conclusions. _You look like a fool_, she berated herself,_ let your emotions get the better of you again._ She tried not to consider what he had said, that he had been trying to avoid her. _It didn't matter_, she told herself, _you wanted to be alone anyway._

When she was sure her embarrassment was under control, she turned back to face him, hoping that there wouldn't the slightest bit of_ any _sort of emotion in her voice. Shikamaru was also looking at her with a strange look, one she couldn't really read.

She tried on a smirk, trying to come up with some insult, to let things go back as per normal. But for some reason… she couldn't think of one.

Shikamaru wasn't a mean person at all, so he was to an extent, shocked, at what he just said. He knew very well how bad it was; this wasn't part of their normal banter, not one of the many insults they would level at each other. _Shit_. He hadn't meant to make it sound so harsh, but it was too late, he thought, the damage was done.

Temari had been pretending to tidy her clothes, but he knew her well enough now to see she was hurt. For one, she didn't even have a reply, except for _oh_. What kind of answer was oh, especially coming from her? Ordinarily he would have been delighted to be able to get her speechless, or unable to insult him. But _this_ was wrong… he didn't want to alienate her like this.

"Anyway crybaby, "She smirked, "Don't act so sneaky next ti-"

"It was a _joke_ woman." He cut in, rolling his eyes. "Can't you even take a joke?"

She blinked again, once more surprised by his words. "A joke?"

"I wasn't trying to avoid you. It's just how I walk… Is that a problem?" He asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her.

Her spirits lifted at his words and light tone. This time she didn't have any trouble thinking what to say. "Why one earth would anyone walk like that? And how come you're returning so late anyway?"

He sighed and held up his hands. "None of your business."

She grinned at him as she shook her head. "I didn't know you were _so_ hard working lazy bum. The Feudal lords are quite _lucky_."

He gave her a look before taking a step closer towards her. "I don't know what you're doing here at this hour woman, and I don't want to know. Why don't we just be on our way?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Nothing sneaky if that's what you're insinuating. I was just walking…"

He yawned, "Did you even hear me? I said, I don't care woman…"

"Rude baka." She shook her head at him again, a disparaging look on her face. "You could at least cover your mouth."

He didn't bother to answer, just stood looking at her lazily. She looked back at him, a smile threatening to break out on her face. Resisting the urge to stick out a tongue at him, she pushed past him and walked a few steps, just to see if he was following.

He didn't at first; just continued to stand there, before groaning and following in the same direction. "Isn't your house the other way woman?" He said, catching up to her.

"I just wanted to walk another way… Is that all right, your majesty?" she replied sarcastically.

He sighed to himself, "Troublesome woman." He slowed down his steps to let her take the lead. Where on earth was she going, he wondered, knowing that it was definitely not back to her house.

"I'm just going somewhere." She suddenly said, surprising him. He didn't think she would actually tell him in the first place. Well, _somewhere_ wasn't actually telling him, but at least she admitted it wasn't home. Hmmm…

* * *

He reached his hotel and was about to go in, when he realized that Temari had also stopped, and looked as though she wanted to say something. However, she seemed to be struggling with it so he asked, "What's wrong woman?" 

Initially she had wanted to be alone. That was why she had come this way in the first place, without telling anyone. But now that she had met Shikamaru… she wasn't so sure if being alone would be so comforting this time. Deep in her heart, she didn't really want to be alone, even if it meant with a kid younger than her from another village.

And besides, although he irritated her with the whole lazy act, even when he was around, he wasn't the type who would go poking in her business or be a busybody. If she really wanted some quiet companionship, he was, she reflected, the best choice currently.

She bit her lip, before looking away and saying, "Are you that tired?"

Now, that was intriguing. Did Temari actually want him to follow her? He turned around to face her, but he couldn't get a clear look at her face as she had now turned and looked in the direction. At least this meant she wasn't going to meet Seima, he hoped. But where did she want to bring him to this time?

Did he want to follow her? After all, didn't he just vow that he didn't want to be near her anymore? That he didn't want anything to do with her? Where did that vow go all of a sudden?

He scratched his ear and yawned as he considered the offer, knowing it was making Temari feel awkward. "Well… The whole day with those irritating people was still alright …" He drawled. "But the last ten minutes, with the most troublesome woman, has left me _extremely_ tired."

She rolled her eyes, a smile on her face and in her voice. "Baka."

"But if you want some company… I guess I could spare some time." He continued, careful to keep his face impassive.

She shrugged. "Well I wouldn't want to disturb your beauty sleep. I know how much a big baby like you needs it…"

_Sigh_. She was the one who wanted him to follow her, and still she couldn't be the slightest bit… the slightest bit…

_Forget it_, he told himself, _just tell her no. _ After all it wasn't like he was here to be her jester. Just tell her no and be done with it. Remember what happened yesterday? Remember how troublesome it was yesterday? Things would most definitely only get more troublesome, if he did agree to follow her.

_And Shikamaru didn't like troublesome things._

But as he gave her another look over in the lights of the hotel, he could see some worry lines under her eyes. She had some sort of problem going on, he reckoned, though he doubted it was to do with him. Whatever it was it was most definitely a troublesome thing. Not that he expected to hear about it, after all Temari wasn't close and he wasn't that big a busybody.

_And Shikamaru didn't like troublesome things._

He stared back at her, watching her stare back at him coolly. No signs of what she was thinking. But then again, she did offer…

_Shikamaru didn't like troublesome things. _

"Let me wash up a little first," he said to her. "Give me five minutes."

_Did he?_


	10. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 8

Alright, it's been a weird week for these two, and a tough one for me. Initially, this Troublesome Week Arc was just supposed to consist of 5 chapters which were written over 6 months ago. But every time I kept reviewing them before posting them online, I just saw inadequacies, and a pathetic storyline. I've tried my best to improve the storyline, to make it flow; to give it a sense of realism that I hope even slightly resembles the manga.

Thanks to all the very kind reviewers who took the time to say something, and thanks to all those who didn't review, but still bothered to read it. This is an important chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

**Shameless Publicity: We're coming to the climax of this week soon, probably another 2-3 chapters. Stay tuned.**

m. r. j

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 8**

**Something-Else Woman**

Five minutes he said. Damn it, she thought angrily, it had been over 10 already! How dare he make her wait like this?! Already she had to force a smile at a few people who had managed to recognize her, though thankfully none had actually asked her what she was doing here this hour. But tongues would definitely start wagging.

Damn that Shikamaru! And for that matter, damn herself as well. Her whole behaviour tonight had been nothing but embarrassing. First she had been so sure that she had been followed by an ANBU that she had attacked him. After it turned out to be just Shikamaru returning home, she actually got affected, when he had said he was trying to avoid her. Now she had actually invited him along with her.

One might think she had something for him, which would be embarrassing for them both in the long run. Of course, she liked to tease him, and watch him get flustered around her, but for an actual fact, he was still a kid. She was a little more relaxed around him, as they always had this strange banter between them which constantly amused her.

No wonder Kankuro seemed to tease her more when he was around. Maybe it would be better if she just left, she decided. She turned around intending to leave before he came back down.

She had only gone a few steps when she realized that someone was behind her. This time he wasn't hiding himself, she thought. She stopped and turned to stare at Shikamaru who looked back at her… lazily was the only word that came to mind. His face was washed and his hair was slightly wet. He had both hands stuck in his pocket, slouching as per normal, giving her the strongest sense of a cat who had just taken a bath. She had to smile at the image, if only to herself.

It would be best, she thought, if it was just said quickly. Temari glanced around; checking to make sure no one was within hearing range. Sure that they were alone enough, she placed her hands on her hips and raised her voice slightly, "I changed my mind. Go back. I don't want you around."

No reply from him. He just continued to look at her. "Did you hear me baka?" She asked again.

Still no reply from him. _Fine, _she thought, _whatever_. She turned and continued on her way. But he was still following her. She turned around, irritated. "Are you deaf?! What did I jus-"

"You think I'm your clown?" He cut in coolly. "You think you'll just order me around and I'll just leap to them?"

She took a step back, surprised. "What are you talki-"

"First you ask me along. Now you decided after I washed up, that you don't want me along." He said, still giving her a cool look. "Too late." He continued, shaking his head. "You know, I didn't want to come along with the spoilt princess in the first place."

She could feel the blood in her cheeks rise, as she started to get more embarrassed, feeling stung by his words. "But here I am nonetheless." He spoke slowly, but clearly, making sure she heard every word properly. "So now, I'm going wherever it is I want." He took another step towards her, causing her breath to catch in her throat, feeling even more embarrassed by his close proximity. "Understood?"

He was right in front of her face, their noses within touching distance. She tried to catch her breath, as he stared directly into her eyes. _Damn it!_ She tried to look away, but found she couldn't. She never once thought he would actually get angry at her for real. Taking an involuntary step backwards, still aware that he was glaring at her, she crossed her arms in front of her, suddenly feeling very exposed to his gaze.

Swallowing, she forced herself to look downwards as she rubbed the sides of her arms. "Ahh… look I didn't mea-"

"Shall we go then?" he interrupted. Her eyes shot back to him, unbalanced by the change in his voice. As she stared at him, he took a step backwards, and yawned. Too late, she realized. He now had a _smirk_ on his face!

Bloody bastard.

She was speechless, knowing that once again, she had fallen for his joke. There was again nothing she could say, to rescue her from this… this humiliation! She clenched her fists; how dare he do this _again_?!

"Temari?" He asked again, smirking to the high heavens. "Shall we go?"

It was all she could do not to strangle him.

She glared at him again, her earlier embarrassment forgotten, before turning around and walking off in a petulant pace. He grinned to himself as he followed her. Another joke, but this time she didn't get too angry with him, considering the circumstances. But he had also seen how unnerved she had been when he had stepped towards her.

Hmm… that was interesting. Initially he had just planned to sound angry, but stepping up to right in front of her face, that had been a spur of the moment thing. Thankfully, she hadn't decided to punch his face in for getting so close to her, though he was pretty sure that would be the case if he tried the same trick twice. He wondered where it was he was following her to.

Despite what just happened, he pushed any so-called romantic thoughts aside as soon as they had entered. He wasn't under any illusions; he was now, (after Kankuro and Gaara's talk) more than ever aware of the age difference, and of Temari's position in Suna. Besides, just because she was showing some interest, didn't mean anything at all. There was still this _Seima _character after all. And thinking about it logically, it could be that she was just being nice to him (though he would have to clarify with her what exactly she defined by nice); though he felt there was something wrong with that.

But it still didn't explain why she was willing to spend so much time with him. He knew why he was accompanying her; to satisfy her brothers, keeping her company and making her not un-happy.

But what was her excuse? They were too different in temperaments to consider themselves friends, he would have thought. But for some strange reasons, after Kankuro had mentioned it, he realized that Temari did laugh a lot more when he was around. Not that he knew what she was like when he wasn't around but the times when they had 'hung' out together, she had been in a pretty good mood most of the time. Well except for when she got angry with him over small things. But that was quite minor, as she then perked up almost immediately.

Did she really enjoy his company? Or was he just reading too much into the wrong signs. He pursed his lips. For that matter, why was he thinking so much about the issue?

She was probably still feeling apologetic after the prank she pulled yesterday, he decided, looking at her back. Maybe that's why she asked him along today, though it didn't explain why she suddenly decided she wanted to be alone. Maybe it was this Seima person?

No it couldn't be. She would have put her foot down and sent him back home. Instead, she had stammered and been quite embarrassed when he pretended to be angry. Besides, it wasn't her style to be apologetic at anything. Maybe she was…just…

Was just…

Ahhh… He sighed. This woman was impossible to figure out. And it was troublesome to try doing so. He decided to just take it that she didn't know what she wanted. _Typical girl._

Forget it. He was just doing this so her brothers wouldn't torture him. He would leave it at that for now. He no longer wanted to think about all these troublesome questions. For now, he would just go with the flow; 'entertain' her if she wanted. But at the same time, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy her company.

And he was aware that he did.

He took his time, knowing it would irk her more, enjoying the view of her practically stomping her way forward. She didn't even care how late it was… he thought, shaking his head. It was a waste that most of the time she chose to be so testy and impatient, because she could be cute when she wanted to be, he thought, remembering the events of yesterday. And now that the fan wasn't there to hinder, the view from behind her, he grinned to himself, wasn't bad at all.

* * *

He was already yawning again as she came to a stop in front of a building near the edge of the village. She glanced at the top of the building as though trying to decide something, causing the moonlight to strike her face, giving her a cold, unearthly look. Shikamaru hurried forward; after all he didn't want to irk her that much.

She gazed at the sky, knowing full well that the baka was purposely taking his time. She considered again, did she really want to bring him here? This was her special place after all, not somewhere you could just bring anyone. This spot was hers and hers alone, and bringing him seemed like an invasion, that she herself was leading.

What was a good reason to bring him here? Just because he hadn't lost his temper at her at the prank she pulled yesterday? Because she found herself enjoying his company even though she tended to lose her temper at him? Just because she liked it when he teased her?

Or was it because she found him slightly interesting…

She blinked; surprised that so many reasons seemed to pop up. She glanced around her quickly, wondering if there was anyone watching them.

It had been sometime since she last came here. She never came here with Seima, or any of her other friends for that matter. This place was private, personal… Recently she had come here once with Gaara, but never Kankuro though. That idiot would never know how to appreciate this kind of place, though she had caught him once trying to follow her. She had broken Kuroari in half as a warning to him. Odd she didn't do the same to Shikamaru…

She supposed she should have just ignored him when she had caught on to him behind her, and after knowing who it was, she shouldn't have invited him in the first place. But she was feeling bored…and slightly alone. Seima was still on a mission and some of her other friends were not those she could really hope on for the right kind of company. She didn't even have a boyfriend to confide in. She bit back a sigh. The guys out there were just… disappointing.

Gaara, too had just got back and would probably need some rest for a while. Even if he had changed, he still needed to be alone sometimes. And besides… he was the reason for her troubled mind.

But back to point, was "interesting" worth this? She knew she wasn't interested in him in that way, but they were similar in certain things. Sometimes, they needed somewhere to just ponder, where they wouldn't be disturbed. Well… she needed it more than he did, though she would never admit it. She always wondered what a lazy bum like him had to ponder about.

She was aware that he had caught up and was now looking at her curiously, but didn't say anything yet. He wasn't even from Suna after all, and she hadn't known him for that long either, so why was she being so casual with him? First kissing him on the cheek, then her room and now this place.

They stood in silence, Temari pondering her decision and Shikamaru content to simply stand and look at the moon. She sighed to herself, hoping that he wouldn't get the wrong idea. She still enjoyed this friendship, if one could call it that. She decided to take a chance; she hadn't bothered to bring her fan, but if he tried anything, she would just break one of his arms instead of both. Furthermore, she was older than him and they tended to argue too much.

She stopped, startled at herself. Where did that come from? Why did she think of that all of a sudden? Nervously, she put the thought out of her head as she jumped up.

He started when she suddenly jumped up towards the roof. He waited a few seconds, averting his eyes, (she was wearing a skirt) before following her. The building was one of those that was relatively taller than the rest and the roof was nothing special. He looked around wondering why they were here, when she spoke up.

"What kind of shinobi are you?!" She shook her head, her hands placed on her hips. "You even jump slow!"

He ignored the insinuation, glancing around, before replying, "It was a matter of courtesy woman. I'm no pervert…"

She stared in surprise, before laughing. "A chauvinistic pig trying to be a gentleman eh?" causing him to roll his eyes at her.

She motioned him towards her, sitting down on the roof with her legs stretched out. He approached her warily, (she realized wickedly) before settling down next to her, giving plenty of space in between them. She looked at him, noticing the role-reversal from earlier, and enjoying his uncertainty and discomfort now.

"So woman," he said, trying not to glance at her long legs, "why did you drag me up here?"

She gave him a look, before replying breezily, "You were the one stalking me."

He sighed, as he closed his eyes. "Are you going to keep that up? You know I was just walking back…"

She gave him a teasing smirk, "Come on; you don't have to be so shy." Cocking her head to one side, she continued in a patronizing tone, "If you wanted to bask in my radiance, all you had to do was ask."

This time it was his turn to laugh as he considered her words. "That's right…I forgot; you _are_ the great Temari-sama! You must have guys all over you, begging to bask in your so-called radiance."

This time she didn't get angry like in the hospital; seeing his smile, made her able to appreciate the joke. She grinned back, "Yeah… but royalty means having to cater to all… even the lazy and useless!"

He grinned at her, cracking one eye open. "I'm lazy… but you know very well, I'm not useless."

She glanced at him quickly, wondering if that was a flirtatious comment. But it didn't really seem so. "_Please_ pineapple-head… Hiding from paperwork? I'd call that extremely useless."

He raised an eyebrow, and gave her a look, "Isn't _someone_ a busybody?"

She snorted, "It's now public knowledge that a certain Konoha shinobi was trying to hide from doing paperwork. There are rumors all around."

"Excuse me?" said Shikamaru, sitting up. "And who started these rumors?"

She didn't answer, just smirked, which pretty much gave him his answer. He groaned, hoping that it wouldn't find its way back to Konoha. Tsunade-sama wouldn't be happy with it. At least he now knew why he had been getting the stares…

"Thanks a lot woman… Can't I trust you with anything at all?" Shikamaru said, shaking his head.

She laughed softly this time, amused by his mock anger. "Here I am being so nice to you, and still you talk to me like that?"

He snorted, and turned to face her. "Temari, you been saying that non-stop since I met you. How nice you are. How nice you are to everyone." He said dryly. "The 'everyone' part is right, but since when have you ever been nice to _me_?"

She gave him a look, "Are you complaining? It's not my fault you're so irritating…"

_Then why do you bother with me? Why are we here?_

He held his tongue from uttering the questions; he didn't want to get ahead of himself. "Please. Educate me," he continued. "When was this fabled time when you were nice to me?"

She didn't answer immediately, instead leaning back to glance at the stars above.

"You've been complaining non-stop like a baby, about how there are no parks, or anywhere to sit back and stare at your stupid clouds right?"

He gave her a look, insulted, "I mentioned it once or twice only."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah whatever. Anyway since you wanted to stare at something… well… here's pretty nice." She gestured towards the night sky which was clear tonight, the stars twinkling above their heads. "I come here sometimes to just sit and think… It's pretty peaceful."

He looked at her with surprise. A person like Temari actually came to a place like this? Maybe he had mis-judged her after all…

"And it probably beats the crap out of your stupid park anytime." She said again, with a teasing grin.

He didn't bother to answer yet, instead choosing to lie on his back, looking at the stars. Ok so they weren't clouds, but they didn't seem to be that bad. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed her laying back also, a strange, quiet look on her face.

They just lay there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and tranquility. He stretched his muscles, feeling slightly chilled, but otherwise pretty content. He thought back to the last few days. It had started pretty poorly, but now it didn't seem too bad after all.

He glanced over at her again, wondering how it was that she could be so noisy and yet so…so… quiet, for a lack of a better word. In the moonlight, she was almost serene.

She must have noticed him staring because she suddenly asked, "What?" turning to face him. "Why are you staring at me?"

He shook his head, smiling to himself slightly. "I guess the stars are pretty amazing."

_Huh_, was Temari's confused thought. What was he talking about all of a sudden? _Oh no…_ He wasn't trying to be amorous was he…? She looked at him again with a questioning look on her face.

Shikamaru smirked, "I mean they can actually make such a troublesome, noisy busybody woman so… so quiet!" He jerked back his arm quickly, successfully avoiding the punch that came his way, smirking at her irritated face.

"Baka." She said angrily "Lazy, rude baka."

He laughed this time, making Temari wish she had brought her fan. She turned away from him, irritated that he had managed to get to under her skin for the umpteenth time. "This is the thanks I get for wasting my time."

He didn't reply, instead continued to look out at the sky. Suddenly he spoke out, "Eh… Don't you think the ANBU would mind a shinobi from another village wandering around so late at night?"

She snorted, "You were already wandering around by yourself. And for your information, our villages are in alliance you know."

He nodded and replied off-handedly, "For now I suppose. Anyway I just thought they would be worried for their princess…"

He could hear her grit her teeth as she shot back, "Stop calling me that! I can do whatever I want and why would they be worried? I don't see anyone I should be afraid off…."

"And it would take a lot more to defeat Suna than a lazy baka like you." She continued with a slight grin.

He replied in the same teasing tone, "Well it would never be within my mind to harm a little girl like you. I just thought that with the absence of a Kazekage now…" He stopped seeing Temari stiffen.

"What, what did you think?" She replied testily, sitting up and pulling her legs towards herself. "What crazy, stupid thoughts did you think now?"

He was surprised hearing her tone, and seeing her in the position, looking for the world like a small girl, nothing like the brash, normally overconfident woman she normally was. This wasn't like their normal games, she actually seemed rather pained. He decided not pursue the questions.

"Well," He said slowly, not wanting to anger her, "Nothing really. Just bored I guess…"

She didn't reply immediately, didn't even turn to face him. He was beginning to realize that he had just touched a sore spot. From the rumors he had heard, none of the sand siblings were that close to their former Kazekage, who had also been their dad. And of their mother's, he only knew about Gaara's. Well, he was at fault for bringing up her father. Did she miss him very much, he wondered, was that's why she was so moody all of a sudden?

Thinking about the matter, without a Kazekage, and not even a possible one to be chosen as of yet, could Suna have been looking to her, more specifically to the three siblings as possible or potential replacements? They were way too young, but they did have the blood of the Kazekage in them. The one, who was powerful enough, would be Gaara, but he was too un-stable. And no one in their right mind would put Kankurou in charge. Hmmm…This could leave her, as the oldest and the sanest, to take the brunt.

So that was why she'd looked so out of shape coming out from the Kazekage's advisors offices. They were probably laying into her with all this Kazekage stuff, and he was well aware, Temari hated to be controlled. He could remember her gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, when she got lectured by that old woman that day.

No wonder she came up here to think. He could be too insensitive sometimes. Now this was beginning to get troublesome, with all the personal stuff. He had no right to talk to her of any of these issues. Maybe this was a good time to leave. He glanced at her, wondering how he should broach the subject

Perhaps she sensed his unusual discomfort because she glanced over and gave him a smirk. "You look like you want to leave. What's the matter… isn't this a good enough spot for you?"

"It's not that… I didn't mean to… intrude." He replied uncomfortably.

"First of all, don't apologize for something you didn't mean. I hate it when people get so wimpy. Second of all, it's not your fault baka." She replied softly, giving him a ghost of a smile.

She stared hard at the sky as the words came out softly. "They don't even let me go out for anything above a B-rank anymore. It's not even about ability anymore, just blood," She continued. "I just need to train and train and rot away…" She trailed off, becoming embarrassed when she realized what she just said, and to whom. Damn it! She hadn't meant to sound so bitter, or in fact tell him anything.

"I can't possibly imagine," he said, careful not to look at her and embarrass her further. "To be stuck in place without being able to move on."

She was grateful that he didn't try to give any advice, or sound patronizing by pretending to understand her situation. God, she had that coming from everywhere these days. It was sometimes more than she could take and she couldn't even lash out. And now this issue with Gaara as well… She hadn't even brought it up with either brother yet. She had no idea how they would take it.

"I guess that's why you like looking at the stars." He cut into her thoughts, looking at her nonchalantly.

She looked at him questioningly, wondering where that came from. "How do you know I like looking at the stars? Just because I come here, doesn't mean I like them. Maybe I like the… moon! Did you ever consider that?"

"You like them," he carried on, ignoring her, "because they seem to be just like you. Twinkling and shining brightly for everyone to see. But in truth, fixed in position, far away from everyone, always left stagnant…"

She had to bite her lip, to stop her jaw from hanging open. Beneath that lazy exterior, was an astonishingly deductive person. It wasn't a perfect analogy, but it was true. She didn't so much like the stars, but rather sympathized with them. But for him to perceive that from just a few conversations was scary. It unnerved her slightly, once again making her feel exposed in front of this guy.

She swallowed hard, turning away not to let him see how right he was. And two could play at that game.

"Right… and I know why you like clouds. Because they are so free to do whatever they want right… just like you." She said turning to look at his reaction. "Not to mention that they are also lazy asses…"

He looked back at her, without the slightest hint of embarrassment. "That's no secret Temari," causing her to blush in embarrassment slightly. Always had to get the upper hand didn't he?

"Hmph… whatever..." She replied, trying to deflect the conversation from the confusing turn it had taken. "And I thought I was a desert rose? And now I'm a star? Che… I didn't know you were so lame. You're even worse than the Lee guy…"

_Ouch!_ He thought, giving her a rueful smile. "I didn't say you were a star. I said that's what you thought you were."

"Oh?" She replied sarcastically, "And since you _already_ know everything, I suppose I'm wrong?"

"Of course." He snorted. "I can't imagine a troublesome woman like you remaining stagnant, no matter who tried to control you. Unless you continue to act like that I suppose…"

That struck a nerve he realized. A little embarrassed and furious at his patronizing words, she shot back, "Life isn't that easy for some of us! Sometimes we have problems that aren't so easy to handle. You'd probably crack under the pressure!"

"Probably," he replied, not looking at her but gazing at the sky above. Temari stared at him, still slightly furious. She never thought she would get so riled up over a simple comment. This guy had a way of getting under her skin.

This was way different from their usual banter. Deep down, she was aware that she wanted to have his respect, ever since he had beaten her in the Chunin exams. That was why, when he said that comment, when he made it sound like she was so weak, she got furious.

Because she wasn't. She was one of the toughest kunoichis in Suna, tougher than some of the male ones even. For this baka to come and suggest otherwise, it was…

It was just preposterous… right?

"Probably." He repeated again. This time he turned to look at her, making sure she was looking back at him. "But you shouldn't."

She tilted her head, giving him a tired glare, "And why not? Cause I should be responsible? Because I'm better than that?" She snorted, rolling her eyes at him. "Save the bullshit… I already get enough of it from Kankuro and others."

She sighed and turned away, looking out towards the desert. "You're so disappointing crybaby. Here I thought you might actually have some good advice…

He sighed theatrically, "Woman, can't you ever hear me out before you start criticizing? You don't tell me anything, and you expect me to pull advice out of the air?"

"Oh please…" She replied, turning to give him an unbelieving look. "Like you would even bother to listen. It's probably too troublesome for you right?"

"Heh," He grinned. "True."

"But, as I was saying earlier…" He continued. "You shouldn't …err…do whatever… for an empty reason. You are… something else Temari…" He trailed off.

"What is up with you and the analogies? Is that head of yours full of this corny crap?" She replied, smirking at his now irritated face. "Honestly, I never imagine you would have such lame lines! What am I now? A beautiful tree? A wholesome drink?"

"A troublesome woman, "He muttered under his breath, now irritated again. She laughed, and reached over to throw some sand at him.

He sat up and brushed it off his jacket, giving her a glare. She continued to laugh, pausing only to say "Better a troublesome woman, than a scaredy-cat crybaby!"

He gave her his best indignant glare, but this only made her more amused. He waited till she stopped before replying dryly, "Glad to see you feel better."

She flashed a smile at him. "Yeah… for a kid, you're not so bad after all."

He smiled and shrugged, "As I said Temari… you're something else…" He lay back again, before continuing. "You'll do ok I guess."

She stared at the side of his face, blushing slightly at the unexpected praise and uncertain how to reply. She turned away before muttering "Shut up, baka."

He shrugged in return, continuing to watch the sky, watching the stars twinkle, realizing he was a little sleepy now. Beside him, Temari suddenly stood up, and walked to the edge of the roof. Turning back to him, she said, "Let's go. I've already wasted too much time with you."

He sighed as he rose slowly. She always had to poke fun at him. "Come on baka, I want to get some sleep!"

He grumbled as he walked over to her and leapt down to the ground. She was the one who had ordered him here in the first place. He fully expected her to warn him not to come back here again, not that he intended to. He had been insulted thoroughly the whole night.

As they made their way back they were both quiet with their own thoughts. When they passed his hotel, she suddenly stopped and looked back at him. "You can go you know…"

"I know," he replied, with a resigned shrug. "But I can't let a woman walk by herself at night."

Temari had absolutely no idea what to do to that. Whether to laugh at him, or just clobber him. He could be so irritatingly nonchalant sometimes, she thought, slightly touched. Many guys would have tried to do the same, but Shikamaru was the only one who seemed to mean what he said. She turned around and carried on her way, knowing he would follow. They didn't really need to say anything to each other, both still enjoying the quiet companionship.

* * *

As she reached her door, she turned to say something, but was beaten to it. "Thanks for showing me the place." He said quickly, hoping she wouldn't feel the urge to let loose another insult.

"It's a private place," she replied nonchalantly, crossing her arms in front of her and giving him a considering look.

He nodded, expecting as much. "Don't worry I won't g-"

"But it's a relaxing spot don't you think?" She cut in again, still giving him that same look. "I seem to go there most of the nights nowadays."

He was almost struck dumb, trying to figure out if she meant what she meant. Was she inviting him back there again? He wanted to ask, but that would be against the rules of their game. He decided to just nod, privately smiling to himself; she always had to make things troublesome. Before he could say anything else, she spoke again.

"Well, for God's sake, do you need me to send you back?" This was her version of a goodbye. He shook his head as he turned around. But it seemed she wasn't done surprising him.

"Ano…." Her voice rang out in the darkness. He stopped in his tracks, wondering what was it now. "Konoha must have some pretty impressive clouds eh…"

"Yeah… it's something all right." He replied hesitantly, wondering where she was going with this, if she was trying to make fun of him again. "A troublesome woman like you would probably not know how to appreciate them… but you should still give them a chance." She didn't reply to his barb, just continued to stand at the door, looking at him.

They looked at each other for some time, before she suddenly replied "Maybe…," smiling at him before turning around and entering her house.

He stood still for a few seconds longer before turning around and heading back. Was that 'maybe' a promise? He shrugged to himself, knowing that with Temari anything seemed possible.

He walked back to his hotel, whistling softly, in the dark.


	11. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 9

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, Chapter 9**

**A Shadow Is Never Petty.**

Despite what most of his friends, or rather most of Konoha thought, Shikamaru wasn't a complainer. He was merely, a die-hard pessimist, who found it hard to see joy in anything other than lying about in the park and gazing at the clouds, which was why he tried to shirk from most duties. This, he understood, gave people the impression that he was a complainer. And, of course, the over-usage of the word troublesome. But what people most didn't understand, what they just couldn't get was that, to him, everything _was_ troublesome. Even the act of complaining was troublesome to him. Sometimes, he didn't even feel like leaving his house, or to even wake up from his bed.

So when he found himself wandering back to a spot that had troublesome-potential written all over it, he pondered. He stood in the moonlight, trying to understand why it was that he was still going back to this particular spot. Why he was willing to get himself involved in something that went again all his principles.

There was the fact that it was a nice enough place to think, he couldn't deny that, and it was also pretty quiet and peaceful. (Till the woman opened her mouth at least).

No, he realized, what he wasn't sure of, was the company that he was keeping. To say that Temari had been acting weird was an understatement. After that strange and open 'first' night, she was not quite the same with him. True she still came to the spot, but she was no longer as talkative as normal In fact, last night she hadn't even spoken to him as they sat side-by-side in quiet contemplation. She had been quiet and withdrawn. The only words she spoke were to wish him goodnight as she left by herself without another word. He had been so perplexed that he hadn't offered to walk her home.

He had spent most of the rest of the night trying not to care about what was wrong with her, but was failing. This irked him, because it was obviously troublesome to get into any sort of involvement, and yet he couldn't let it go. He knew she must have been going through some rough stuff ever since her father had been killed and he suspected it had a lot to do with the Suna advisors. He had caught her coming out of the Suna government block today, with a look that could have killed a monster let alone a lazy genius, so he wisely stayed out of her path. After all, he didn't want to get caught in the cross-fire.

It perplexed him again this morning and the last, seeing as to the number of people he always saw around her all day. Most of the younger shinobis and kunoichis, (a scarce amount in comparison to Konoha's), seemed drawn to her every word, and she never seemed a loss for company. It perplexed him, because the Temari, he observed then, was more of the one he was used to. Proud and pompous, the one who liked being the center of attraction. That was why he found it so troublesome when a different Temari appeared at night.

He had considered not returning tonight. After all Temari didn't seem to be interested in talking at all. He doubted she would have missed him. Also, perhaps he was intruding on her private time. He paused on the sidewalk, silently considering the best action to take right now. Whatever was on her mind, she seemed to not want to talk about it. And not that he wanted to either. But it would be rude to just not turn up.

The last few times, they had met at the edge of the shopping area before proceeding together to her spot. Even when she wasn't talking, she had still been waiting for him there and they would proceed together in silence. This confused him. He never could figure out what Temari was thinking.

Sometimes she would act like she never met him before, and sometimes she would be so nice and friendly. So she didn't want to talk to him, but she didn't mind hanging out with him. What the hell? Why couldn't she just stick to one main course of action and stop giving him so much trouble.

A voice popped into his head then, reminding him, this was a two-way issue. It wasn't like she was forcing him to come. He was voluntarily coming and getting himself involved in this troublesome mess. He regretted not wearing his Chunnin jacket tonight, suddenly feeling cold and uncomfortable. But he had been wearing the same one for a couple of days. It was beginning to get just a slight odor.

That stupid voice. It kept drawing him back to a certain idea that he wasn't very comfortable with. An image of Temari walking beside him, smirking at him suddenly came into his mind. Women were nothing but trouble…

Oh well, he thought, rubbing his arms. Might as well get this over with now. He decided to just pass by and if she was there, he would just say that he was too tired. She probably needed to be alone as well anyway.

Besides he didn't want to appear rude.

No matter what the stupid voice said.

Temari stood at the side of the junction, wondering just where the hell that guy was. It wasn't like he would have had anything to do that would have made him late. He had been pretty much on time the last two days. As she started to pace, a sudden thought struck her; it couldn't possibly be that…that… the baka had fallen asleep! And had left her waiting in the darkness here like a fool! Oh she was going to kill hi-

Oh, wait a minute. She realized that there was someone walking towards her; more specifically, she recognized the slouching, yawning figure even in the darkness.

"Took your time didn't you… lazy bastard!" The flippant tone belied the harshness of her words. But Temari wasn't worried that Shikamaru would get angry. If he was the type of person that got flustered so easily, then they wouldn't be here at all. In fact, she wouldn't have found him interesting in the first place. And sort of trustwor… well more of that she was able to slightly relax with him. Just slightly… which was why she hadn't brought her fan the last few days.

She supposed she had been a little out of sorts the last few days, especially after what she had been forced to take from the advisors. The nerve of them to insinuate some of those things about Gaara. He had really changed but they just continuously refused to forget his past. She sighed to herself, imagining her little brother sitting on the roof, watching the night sky in silence. He had become a different person, someone ready to be human, ready to protect his friends (none in Suna as yet) and his family. Someone who was worthy to be….

She shook her head angrily. She had promised herself not to think about this problem tonight. Kankuro had asked her a couple of times what was wrong but she had just brushed it off. She hadn't wanted to discuss the issue with anyone, including a lazy ass kid who tended to irritate her, she thought, although she had almost broken down yesterday and said something to him. Not that she would have cared what he said, just that she wanted to hear his opinion. And it wasn't that she cared about his opinion, she just…. just… wanted…

Okay well she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to hear but now she was just repeating herself. For some reason, Shikamaru tended to have this slightly unsettling effect on her. But still, she was slightly grateful that he had been around the last 2 days. Even though she didn't want to talk, didn't mean she didn't want the company.

Well she was there. Waiting for him, he supposed. He observed her carefully as he walked up to her side, noting once again the lack of the fan. She was wearing a longer skirt today he saw, to his slight disappointment, a dark blouse and her hair was tied in its usual pony-tails. It was still too dark for him to see her clearly so he wasn't so sure of her mood…

Eh… wait a minute…

She just insulted him, didn't she?

Well, there went all his theories. She had just said more words in the last few seconds than in the last two days. And they just had to be insults. He shouldn't have bothered to worry in the first place. "I don't recall there being a reporting time, Temari." He said, pretending to yawn, knowing it irked her whenever he did that.

He stood back and pretended to yawn again, all the while giving her another once-over. She actually didn't look quite as bummed as the last few days, something that he was actually quite pleased to see. This had the effect of lifting his slightly somber mood. He threw caution (and the little voice) to the wind, and gave her a teasing smile, "Don't you ever get tired of being so impatient?"

Temari looked back at him in surprise. The way he was smiling at her was… was… strange to put it. It was the same lazy smile she had been seeing for some time now, but this time, it brought a different thought to her head. It brought the thought, that Shikamaru was doing more than just teasing her. He was…

Suddenly aware that she was staring at him, she snapped back quickly. "Don't you ever get tired of being lazy? You're worse than a child!"

But still Shikamaru just continued to smile at her. She glared back at him, feeling as though that something was wrong. He shouldn't be smiling like that at her. And s_he_ shouldn't be thinking what she was thinking.

Less than a few minutes with him… and already she was feeling unnerved. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. What was all of a sudden so different now? She licked her lips nervously and looked away, pretending to be irritated. "Crazy baka." She muttered, loud enough for him to hear.

Now desperate to hide her uncertainty, she quickly walked off, half-heartedly hoping that he wouldn't follow her. In the few seconds that they had met, she had changed her mind; she _did_ want to be alone today, especially at this unsettling moment. She absolutely hated to feel uncertain, about anything.

She increased her pace, hoping he wouldn't try to walk alongside her. He started a little, at her change of pace, but other than adjusting slightly to walk behind her, he didn't make any other moves.

Which was good. She tried to get her traitorous thoughts under control as she walked, but found herself failing to do so. Her thoughts kept drifting to the way he smiled at her. Biting her lip, she snuck a quick look back at him out of the corner of her eye, watching him stroll behind her.

That stupid pineapple hair of his didn't look so geeky sometimes, she thought, if he would ever bothered to comb it nicely. He wasn't wearing that Chunnin jacket of his tonight, which actually made him look more mature she had to admit, thinking back, now that she was actually paying attention. He was also no longer wearing his netting shirt, having swapped it for a black t-shirt, which was rather tight. Made his muscles kinda stick out more too. Didn't expect him to really have any muscles too…

She blushed to herself, aware she was beginning to realize a lot of more about him suddenly. His hands seemed perpetually stuck in his pockets as he yawned, giving her a smirk when he noticed her looking. She rolled her eyes at him, as he increased his pace again, coming to walk alongside her.

Before she could say anything, he sighed and said, "What's the rush woman?"

She ignored the question, giving him a blank look, before turning back. She knew what he was talking about, and it was on the tip of her tongue to shoot back an insult at him. But she held her words, not wanting to continue their patented banter. It had always seemed kind of fun… but today… she was beginning to get slight uncomfortable at how fun she found it.

"Oi woman…" said Shikamaru again. She ignored him completely this time, not even turning to look at him. She tried to increase her pace, but found him matching hers. Damn, she just couldn't get rid of him! Maybe she should just tell him to get lost like that day. And if he dared to try and tease her again, she would just punch his nose in.

She was still considering it when she felt a tap on her elbow. Looking at him in surprise (guys had never dared to touch her without her permission) she stopped and gave him a look. "Don't you ever do that again!"

He raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised by her reaction. It was just a light tap, what on earth was her problem? "I didn't mea-"

"Well big surprise there. I'm telling you again kid; don't ever touch me again without my permission." She glared at him.

Which struck a nerve with him. "What about you then?" He said narrowing his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows, still irritated at him. He had a nerve being so familiar as such to touch her. "What about me?"

He gave her an unbelieving look, his voice beginning to rise slightly, "You hit me _all_ the time! As and when you like!"

Temari began to turn red, as she looked away embarrassed. He was right but that didn-

"And who was the one who kissed me? You're the one acting like a kid here!" He snapped at her, before realizing what it was he just said, as well as how loud he had said it.

"Getting all riled up over a light tap…" The words had just come out before he noticed Temari's face turned a dangerous red. Not the cute kind, not the blushing kind, but the dangerous kind. The hurricane in your face kind, the huge metal fan pounding you kind. He stopped, realizing that he may have, just possibly may have, taken the wrong approach.

Temari glared at him, furious, her lips pressed in a straight line. Her fists were clenched as she snarled, "How dare you!? You insufferable, excuse of a boy! You have no right to say that, understand?!"

Shikamaru took a step back, getting a little afraid. She took another step closer to him, before snarling again, right in his face, "Don't you _ever_ say that again."

With that she twisted away and walked off. He stared at her retreating figure; embarrassed and confused at how things had suddenly got to this level.

Damn, things had really gotten troublesome.

He looked in the direction she had disappeared, wondering just why it was she had suddenly gotten so angry so fast. What he said had been a little rude, but nothing to get so worked up over. It wasn't too far from the banter they normally had going. He had expected her to make some rude remark back at him regarding the kiss; after all it was only on the cheek, nothing so serious. What was he supposed to do now? Follow her? Or just go back to the hotel?

And it wasn't her normal mad face, but something way worse. Why did she have to get so mad a-

He stopped, suddenly struck by something. That hadn't been all he said.

She practically threw herself down onto the roof, her feelings in complete turmoil. Pulling her legs towards her, she sat, feeling very alone. Why had she reacted so badly?

After everything she had promised herself about acting more grown-up, she had just lost it when he called her a kid. And it wasn't all his fault. She had been in a foul mood all day long.

She clenched her fist, furious at herself. He was right, she was the one who acted so familiar to him, she was the one who had kissed him, and all he had done was just tap her. He didn't deserve to have her react like that. He must be pretty irritated at her right now. She doubted an apology would make a difference; surely no guy would be that nice.

She sighed to herself, wondering why it was that she seemed to keep irritating him. Making things troublesome. She supposed he had gone back to his hotel. Not that she would blame him. Even her own brothers would have left her alone after such a quarrel, let alone the laziest, trouble-avoiding kid she had ever known.

Letting loose another sigh, she racked her head, wondering why she was able to be so nice to the other guys, the fan-boys, but not to him. Thinking about it, she tended to treat him like she would Kankuro. Which wasn't so good, seeing as to Kankuro was her number one target for screaming to relieve stress. And… and…

He had been pretty interesting.

Smart.

Amusing,

Irritating, definitely.

But, gentlemanly at times.

Temari bit her lip, thinking back to a day earlier when he had called her, 'something else', though he had probably changed his mind by now. And he would probably start avoiding her for real now as well. She couldn't really expect him to be so friendly with her again could she…? The prank at her house had been one thing, but taking her anger out at him for no good reason was a bit too much.

She supposed she should be a bit happy, resting her head on her knees. After all she had gotten her wish, she was alone now…

Her head shot up suddenly, hearing the sound of someone landing on the roof. She stared at the figure, unbelievingly.

Shikamaru brushed his shoulders, wondering to himself if Gaara had something to do with the sand that seemed to keep accumulating on his shoulders. He looked around the roof, catching sight of Temari staring at him.

He gave her an exasperated look, "For god sakes woman, don't you ever slow down?"

**Sorry for taking so long to update, but this chapter was a little tricky as I'm not so good at this kind of moments! I hope it hasn't been too rushed but I didn't want them to suddenly have feelings for each other without a proper progression of things. Please let me know what you guys think of the chapter.**

**This is only the first part of this night. Look forward to the next chapter, where things get a little more depth. And feelings finally start to be examined for real.**


	12. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 10

**The only thing I have to say about this chapter is that I am extremely exhausted after writing it. It might suck, it might be great, but most of all I hope it's real. **

  
Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week.**

**The Choices We Make**

He sat down with a sigh, feeling colder now thanks to the night breeze. Stretching his arms over his head, he yawned, before lying back on the roof. Hmmm… it was a nice night, he decided, the stars were especially bright today although it was still rather cold. Had it been this cold the last few days? He had never noticed since he always had his jacket on.

How did Temari deal with it? She always had only a skirt and blouse on. He turned to ask her, only to find her still staring at him in disbelief.

"Eh?" He said, raising his eyebrows. "What's with you?"

Temari snapped her mouth shut, and turned away hastily. She put her hand up to cover the side of her face, feeling her heart pounding. She took a deep breath, trying to act normal, and all the while struggling to sort out what was going on.

He came back. He actually came back. Even after …

She snuck a quick glance at him, noticing that he was still giving her a puzzled look. He didn't look the slightest bit angry or irritated. She tried to calm her thoughts, trying to get herself under control. She was getting worked up over nothing. So he came back. So what?

Probably just desperate or something. Yeah… that was it. He just couldn't take a hint, this guy. She had made it perfectly clear he wasn't to bother her, and here he was still. Bothering her.

Shikamaru shrugged to himself, before closing his eyes. She felt like strangling him then. How could he be so un-affected by the tension? It was like he was completely oblivious to everything around him. Was he doing it on purpose? Just trying to get under her skin? _Such a baka_, she thought…

What was she supposed to do now? There was currently nothing in her hardware that was able to direct her on how to handle this… this… kid. She could deal with love-sick puppies, obsessed guys, irritating brothers and enemy shinobis, no problem. But she had absolutely no idea how to deal with one Nara Shikamaru. And they called that Naruto brat unpredictable.

Why that title should go to this pineapple-head dork. Damn it, why couldn't he just be as small-minded as everyone else and walk away from her?!

No… he had to act the matured one and be all understanding and un-petty. _Ugh_, it was enough to make her puke. _He was so fake_, she thought, slowly driving herself into a fury. She glared at him, just lying there with his eyes closed, probably half-asleep and completely unconcerned by what was happening around him.

Just what was it that went through that head of his? He always seemed to try to want to show her up. Always trying to make her look bad. From the goddamn exams he had always been doing this kind of shit. What she ought to do was give him a pun-

"Is it always this cold, woman?"

"Eh?" She stopped in mid-rant, thrown off at the question.

He sighed and sat up, rubbing his arms. "I said, is it always this cold?" He asked again, regarding her lazily.

The anger that had been building up, slowly cooled and melted away, as she stared at his questioning face, watching him shiver a little. Over-reacting again… Once more she was getting worked up over nothing. Temari continued to stare at him for a few more seconds, before looking away, suddenly feeling exhausted by the tide of feelings experienced earlier. She didn't want to answer him, because she didn't know what was going to come out of her mouth.

She felt like everything in the whole week was beginning to catch up with her right then and there. Gaara, the advisors, her injuries….and this guy as well. Everything. She just felt so tired at that moment. Her shoulders were suddenly sore from her muscles being tensed up all day, and even worse, her head was so muddled that she wasn't even sure what exactly was bothering her anymore. Temari closed her eyes, feeling tears start to prick her eyelids as she laid her head on her knees.

Shikamaru's mouth dropped open, but he quickly closed it. Was it _that_ hard a question? He couldn't be sure, but he had the distinct impression that she was about to _cry_. Over how cold it was??

He felt like he had just poked, (actually more like taken a kunai and stabbed), a bee's nest, and he had no idea how he had done it. Why on earth were girls so complica- sorry, troublesome? One minute happy, next angry and then suddenly about to cry. Just like back in Konoha.

Damn. Thank god he wasn't a girl. Wouldn't_ that_ have been troublesome._ So who's the crybaby now_, he thought grumpily.

So Gaara and Kankuro had been right. There was something bugging this girl. How fortunate it was that he had _invited_ himself into this troublesome position again.

Kami… even Ino didn't give him this much trouble.

Wait a minute. He was here in the first place because of that irritating brat! He cursed her in his mind for the umpteenth time even as he glanced over at Temari uncomfortably, watching the loose hairs around the back of her neck that had come loose from her 'braids', flutter in the night breeze.

And just like in Konoha, he knew he couldn't let it go.

He shook his head and sighed. But he had already made his decision, so he got up to move somewhat closer to her. She started when he shifted over, raising her head to give him a questioning look. He tried not to look directly at her, but still noticing how weary she looked. Shikamaru swallowed, feeling the strange urge to wrap his arm around her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. This feeling was further compounded by the fact, that, he had the strangest idea that she _wouldn't_ have pushed him away.

Now that was scary.

Yosh… he thought as he sat down, still a respectable distance from her so that no one would get any wrong ideas, but also close enough to…

Close enough to…

Well… to do some thing, he thought nervously, anything that wasn't about to involve anyone crying on anyone's shoulder damn it! But the fact was, this was new territory for him. Dealing with an annoyed Temari was easy. Dealing with a sad one, was, at best, going to be quite complicated. _How troublesome_, he groaned to himself, and there wasn't even a door between them this time.

He continued to look forward, ignoring Temari's gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn her head back to look at the sky. Still he waited; going through in his mind, the various options he had, not wanting to say something stupid and worsen the situation.

Shikamaru realized, as he tested the scenarios in his head, wondering which of them was going to make this situation worse, that he couldn't predict how she was going to react. The games he normally played, had rules, and even when he planned for missions, there were certain things to follow that he could predict.

But this wasn't a game; this was a living, breathing _girl_. Rules didn't exactly apply to them. Even more so since it was Temari he was talking about here. So he decided to go back to the basics; the more complicated things were, the simpler the approach needed to be.

"Tough week?" He asked, in a neutral tone. Sounding sad or sympathetic would have come out patronizing and completely fake. He also didn't want her to feel pressured to say anything. If she wanted to talk, he'd listen.

Hmmm… something about that statement sounded funny…

The irony hit him straight in the face as his mind went back to a few days ago, when he had- well she had- said that he wouldn't even bother to listen as it was too troublesome.

My my… Wasn't he was just _full_ of contradictions lately.

Temari kept silent for a few more seconds before turning to look at him. He saw that she was in control of herself again; her eyes were dry and her face was also now composed. She waited a few more seconds, before saying, "Why did you move nearer?"

Hmmm… avoided the first question. She had also spoken in the same neutral tone he had employed. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "It's kinda cold Temari. Haven't you noticed?"

She shrugged before asking again, "Where's your jacket?"

Still in the same tone. Like as though they were two strangers discussing about the weather. Not that he would have minded or cared previously, but now it bothered him.

"Well I sent it to the cleaners." He replied. Temari nodded before turning back. He pursed his lips, feeling irritated at the lack of response. He remembered this Temari, from when Kankuro had been missing. Now she had been troublesome.

Just between you and me," he said, turning to look her straight in the face and giving her a grim look, "it was starting to smell a little funky."

Before she could help it, before she could regain control of herself, she smiled, and turned away quickly to hide it. Shikamaru was pleased with himself; admittedly, the joke was kinda lame, but it got a smile out of her and that was what he had been aiming for.

She turned slightly, to look at him, the smile having reached her eyes now. "Well, I didn't want to say anything…" she said teasingly.

"Heh," he replied, trying to keep his face serious. "I didn't think you would notice. You do spend lots of time with Kankuro don't you?"

This time she burst out laughing as the insinuation hit her. He grinned to himself, watching the blood rise to her cheeks as she covered her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing so loud. Man, did she rebound quickly. "Oi oi… come on… He doesn't smell _that_ bad!"

She reached out, probably to hit him he supposed. This time he made no move to evade it. It was nice to have Temari acting like Temari again. But she didn't hit him. Well… not in the way he thought she would have. Not in the way she had done the last few times. To be fair it wasn't even a hit. It was more of a squeeze … and her hand had lingered longer than was necessary.

He gulped, feeling extremely nervous. "Baka." She smirked, taking her hand back slowly. "You wouldn't be that brave if Kankuro was around."

Shikamaru considered continuing the joke, but he felt it was beginning to get lame. So he decided on another path. He sighed theatrically, "Please… It's the doll, I'm more afraid of."

She laughed for a second time, making him even more nervous than he would have thought possible. Every time she laughed, a strange feeling coursed through him. Something which thrilled him and scared him at the same time.

Temari took a deep breath, as her laughter died off. But as they looked at each other, they both burst out laughing again. Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what exactly was so funny, but he couldn't help himself.

He couldn't believe it. This was completely unlike him. Not only had he made jokes, but he was actually laughing out loud. He couldn't even remember the last time he had done that. (Yes you guessed it; he always found it too troublesome to do so.)

It had also always been too troublesome to deal with the females in Konoha, and none of them had ever made him feel like wanting to try. But this girl… this woman…. irritated him, troubled him and drew him in.

Temari shook her head in mock despair, as she said in a laughing tone, "I have the weirdest family, don't I? One brother has a monster inside him, and the other plays with dolls." She glanced at him before continuing. "I guess they would be, in your own words, troublesome."

"Please, woman… You don't know about troublesome." He groaned. "You haven't met my parents yet."

They both stopped when he said that, realizing suddenly what that sounded like. "Err, I mean," he continued hastily, "you have no idea how troublesome they can get!"

She gave him a puzzled look, "Your dad was pretty cool actually. And…" She added mischievously, biting her lip and trying not to smile, "Not too half-bad looking I might add. Wonder what happened to you…"

He could feel the blush rising to his cheeks, as he forced himself to ignore her last sentence. "Like I said, you don't know how troublesome he is. But he's not half as bad as my mum."

He sighed for real this time, as he thought back to how his mother used to nag at him. "She gives troublesome a new meaning I tell yo- Oi!"

Shikamaru sat up and stared at Temari, who had suddenly punched him on the shoulder. One of the hard ones this time. "What the hell was that for?"

She glared at him. "Don't talk about your mother that way!"

His mouth dropped out as he stared at her in astonishment. "She's _my_ mother… what's your problem?!"

She continued to glare at him, not backing down. "You shouldn't talk about your mother like that!"

"Like what?? It wasn't even an insult you crazy woman!" Shikamaru snapped at her.

"Calling your mother troublesome?! That was an insult you jackass!" Temari shot back. They glowered at each other for a few more seconds, before simultaneously turning away. The sudden silence was a bit unsettling, especially coming after the laughter earlier.

It seemed destined that any conversation they ever had would erupt into an argument, thought Shikamaru ruefully. No matter what the issue, it would just end up with one of them insulting the other. Imagine how much more troublesome things would be if they were more than just friends.

"Oh for god sakes don't tell me you're going to sulk?"

He sweat-dropped, feeling the vein in his forehead start to throb. He looked at her, eyes narrowed. She gave him an innocent look, as though nothing had happened, causing the vein to throb even more. He turned away from her; determine more than ever to sulk. Temari rolled her eyes and continued in an exasperated tone, "Don't be such a girl… it was just a comment."

Looks like she had once again, forgotten the punch. She was the one who had gotten mad over things earlier and started to almost cry. And she had the nerve to scold him for sulking? Sometimes he wondered if Temari ever heard some of the stuff that came out of her mouth.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

She smirked to herself. He was a baby sometimes, but it was kinda cute. "I just don't think it's very nice to talk about your- any mother that way." She said, softening her tone as a peace offering. Still no response, so she carried on, "Besides I'm sure your mother isn't that bad. You're probably just whining over nothing, baka."

He continued to ignore her, though the vein on his forehead registered her words. She closed her eyes, smiling faintly to herself. "My mom was also sort of 'troublesome'. But she was just being a mother, I guess... Just wanted the best for us… you know."

Shikamaru cracked on eye open to look at Temari whose gaze was on the sky above, obviously lost in her own thoughts. "You should be nicer to your mom. Never know when they might go away…" She finished softly, before turning to look back at him. They sort of gazed at each other for a few seconds before she smirked. "Now I don't think you have the right to sulk anymore."

She was right, damn her. He couldn't sulk anymore, especially when she brought in the deceased parents thing. Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, causing her to laugh. A faint smile did, however, break on his face, as he heard her laugh. He pretended to give her an annoyed look, but he could literally feel his irritation fade away as she smiled back at him.

"It figures." He said. Temari leaned a little closer and gave him a look, wondering what he meant. "What?" She asked apprehensively.

"Troublesome women sticking up for each other." Shikamaru replied, trying to sound as exasperated as possible. And for the third time tonight, Temari burst out laughing.

"You're going to bring the ANBU down on us woman." Shikamaru said, feeling pleased with himself for getting her to laugh so much. "Can you please try to control yourself?"

This time, she couldn't resist it, sticking her tongue out at him. He grinned at her in response. "Real mature woman. A typical spoilt princess."

She groaned, shaking her head at him. Cocking her head to one side, she asked mockingly, "You're so lame, you know. Are you sure you're a genius? Can't even think of a better insult."

He couldn't help chuckling to himself, "One day woman… one day, you're going to get what you deserve."

She raised her eyebrows, "And what do I deserve, pineapple-head?"

"Hmmm…" He mused, pretending to give it some thought. He wondered if he should say something kinky, like that she deserved to be spanked or something. But that would have probably earned him a hurricane up his ass, not to mention what would happen if her brothers got wind of it. Truth was, nothing came to mind…except those certain stuff that he couldn't rightly say out loud! He gave Temari a cheeky smirk, imagining the look on her face if he did say those thoughts out loud.

Temari blinked, feeling her nerves start to flutter a little. Muttering an almost inaudible, "What?" she turned away quickly, feeling a blush start to rise to her cheeks. It was as though she had been able to hear a little of what Shikamaru was thinking.

Shikamaru continued to keep the smirk on his face, knowing that he was throwing her off. That was the only way to outwit with Temari, he realized, was that you had to keep her off-balanced. Normally he would rely on making an insulting come-back, but never had he imagined, never in his life since he had met this woman, never since the day she had tried to beat the hell out of him had he ever even conceived that _flirting_ would be even more effective.

Troublesome, yes. But kinda fun as well. Heh, he would see how far he could take this. After all, they were just two friends who were just kidding around with each other, nothing more.

Nothing more, he thought uneasily, realizing that he had just stepped into this 'flirting' business without even a second thought. He sneaked a look at Temari; she was still staring ahead, but he could still see the blush on her cheeks.

Uh oh.

He tried to shake off the feeling, sitting up and pretending to rub his neck. "Err…" he said nervously, "What time you wanna go back?"

"Ah?" She gave him a surprised look. "What's the rush?"

"What's the rus…?" He started indignantly before trailing off, realizing she was teasing him again. He gave her a sour look, before replying, "I thought I was bothering you?"

She scrunched her nose and just smiled at him, without responding. But it wasn't one of her normal smiles. Not one of the cheeky, or mischievous or smirking smiles. It was the kind of smile, he had to admit, designated to win hearts. The way she tilted her head, they way her eyes seemed to sparkle under the bright moonlight.

Had she always been this cute? Good–looking, yes. But this … He swallowed again, finding himself staring at her, unable and unwilling to look away

Temari knew she was flirting. Shamelessly in fact. But she didn't quite care anymore. If you really thought about it, you could say she had been flirting all this while. It was only now, that she was doing it openly. After fighting the idea for so long, she realized that she had to start accepting the fact that there was something going on between them, no matter how annoying it was and how much she didn't want to believe it.

There had been a touch of it growing all the way from the time when she helped him out with that Sound bitch. There been a little spark, and she realized that all this time they had been spending together had only served to fan it. She smirked at him as he suddenly started mumbling and adjusting his collar. Cute, looking so nervous all of a sudden.

Back and forth they had gone in the last few days. She wondered what her brothers would think if they knew she was acting like this. Temari supposed they probably had an idea about it. Even though she had take pains to disassociate herself with Shikamaru, she couldn't fool her brothers.

She had always been careful not to be so open with guys, keeping them at arms length. Even as close a friend as Seima was, she had never allowed him into her room. But not only had she allowed Shikamaru to enter, she had actually trusted him to be inside without her supervision.

Heh, Kankuro must have been furious.

She wondered what her brothers had done to him that day. It as impossible to think that they had just let him go unscathed. Gaara had just kept silent when she asked and Kankuro had refused to say anything also except to scream uncle a couple of times when she put him in a head-lock for a few minutes. Hmmm… to think about it, Shikamaru had never said anything about it either. Not even to scold her for lying about her brothers being home.

But getting back to point, she supposed her brothers would have guessed something by now. Kankuro always did seem to have a smirk whenever Shikamaru was around and Gaara tended to narrow his eyes just a little more.

"Anyway baka, just to let you know… those roses that your friend sent over are doing quite well." Temari said with a yawn. "You can take  
a sample of it home when you want." Shikamaru harrumphed, before replying, "I have a name, woman. Is it so hard to use it?"

"Yes," replied Temari smirking, "Besides baka is so much more appropriate!" He rolled his eyes as she laughed. "Anyway when are you leaving?"

He turned to her with a pleased smile. "Tomorrow morning."

She looked at him, a little surprised. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He replied sitting up, "My ordeal's finally over."

She nodded her head, feeling slightly disappointed. "Lucky you… At least you're done with yours…" She bit her lip, suddenly remembering her troubles. Damn, she would definitely have to answer for some of the things she had said today afternoon.

"They still giving you trouble?" Shikamaru asked, a little curious.

"Yeah," Temari sighed. She turned back to him and said with a resigned smile, "Are they as rude at your village?"

He chuckled at her. "It must be nice to be a princess. You can say anything you want…" She gave him an annoyed look, to which he chuckled again. "And I don't know about my village advisors. Never had a reason to talk to them."

"Lucky," she replied, turning back to stare at the sky. "You won't believe how highly they think of themselves. How they always _think_ they know better."

Shikamaru shrugged, "Well they are more experienced… No, I'm not taking their side woman," He said exasperatedly, when she turned to stare angrily at him. "I just meant that they have more knowledge about how things work in the world. It wouldn't hurt to listen to them now and then right?"

She glared at him. "Even when they insult you? Insult your family?"

He shrugged again, causing her to glower at him. "They don't even know how Gaara is nowadays. What right do they have to deny him the chance to change?"

Shikamaru nodded his head, beginning to get an idea what all this was about.. "And its not like he isn't qualified you know! But no… all they keep saying is he's a menace, he cant be trusted, he's a monster…"

"Argh, it just makes me so furious sometimes!" She thumped the roof angrily causing Shikamaru's eyebrows to shoot up. So that was what this was about.

"Well, "he said slowly, considering the idea in his own head, "being Kazekage is no small matter… Gaara also has to show that's he capable right? He can't jus-"

He was cut off as Temari suddenly grabbed his arm. He turned at her in surprise; surely Temari wasn't that sensitive about Gaara? She, however, was staring at him in astonishment. "What?" He asked, starting to get a little uncertain.

She stared at him for a few more seconds before asking in an incredulous voice, "How did you know that??"

"Know what?" He asked, trying to lean back a little, feeling intimidated by her presence so near to him.

"That I… Gaara… and the Kazekage… Just how did you know it?!" Temari said furiously, gripping his arm harder.

"Oh," he replied nonchalantly, shrugging at her. That was what she was so surprised about? "I guessed. What's the big deal?"

"Guessed?" she gaped at him. "It is a big deal! It's supposed to be private! …and you just guessed it?? How?!"

"Well, "he said, slowly removing her grip on his arm, but still, whether unknowingly or purposely, managing to hold on to her hand, "first doesn't worry… I didn't tell anyone if that's what you are worried about. And I am a genius you know." He said, smirking slightly at her.

He also wondered to himself if she realized where her hand was, and why he hadn't let it go yet.

"Ass." She rolled her eyes and gently tugged her hand out of his to slap his shoulder.

"Anyway," he continued, "Is that what you've been arguing about with them? To nominate Gaara as Kazekage?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. This was a private matter, between her village people. But then again, he had found out on her own, though she couldn't exactly figure out how. And besides, he was kinda… well smart. It wouldn't hurt to have his opinion.

And just what was that earlier, holding her hand so casually?

She nodded her head. "They just cannot accept that he's a different person now. Some of them still give him wary looks, as though he's about to attack them anytime."

"You know, "she continued angrily, "Some of them actually wanted him exiled from Suna!" He raised his eyebrows, surprised by that. That was extreme wasn't it? Especially given the events in the last few months.

Even most of the people from Konoha had started to stop fearing him. There had been no complaints about the few days he spent as an academy instructor; in fact some of the genin had been delighted to have been taught by him. "Does Gaara know about this?"

"Of course not! I'm not going to raise his hopes till I've got something concrete." She snorted, giving him an are-you-stupid-look.

It took all his strength not to roll his own eyes then. She didn't tell him yet? Did he even want to be Kazekage? He looked intently at her, feeling annoyed now. Did she even care? Typical woman…

"Did you bother to ask him even? How do you know he even wants to be Kazekage in the first place?" He spoke a little louder; making sure Temari heard him clearly. She was a little taken aback by the tone, but the words registered. She turned red slightly; embarrassed.

"Temari." He said again, a little more sharply "Does he want to be Kaze-"

"He didn't say it outright." She snapped at him. They glared at each other for a few seconds before Temari turned away. "Kankuro talked to him… and some of the things he said… We know ok. He just doesn't want to because he doesn't think he deserves to…"

She frowned at him, "I'm not doing this for myself."

Shikamaru scratched his head, "I didn't sa-"

"You were thinking it." She said simply.

He didn't say anything to that; she was right. Ok, she wasn't as narcissistic as he was thinking. That changed things a bit. He cleared his throat

"Anyway how's the general feeling around here? Does everyone still hate and fear him?" He asked Temari. Temari shook her head emphatically. "Absolutely not! I'm not saying that he's been Mr. Personality, but… you just know it."

He nodded at her; it was true he could tell. "He's kinder, more thoughtful and slightly more open now." She said softly. "My brother…"

He raised an eyebrow dubiously, but she didn't notice. Things were moving into an emotional level all of a sudden. Time to cut the tension, he thought. There was something else that he had noticed, that he wanted to bring up anyway. "Ohhh… no wonder then you're so popular nowadays."

"Eh??" She turned to him in surprise. "Where did that come from?"

"Seems like all the guys aren't afraid to approach you anymore." He said, playfully. "The great Temari-sama…" causing her to blush faintly at the ridiculous name Kankuro had given her.

"Don't be stupid baka. They've been approaching me for a long time. In secret mostly," She said, shaking her head in annoyance. "I tell you, I've lost count of the number of letters I've had asking me to meet them in some place or another."

"You're acting like you don't like it. Silly me… and here I thought you loved the attention." He smirked at her. She gave him a look before replying, "It was more helpful when Gaara was all scary. Now they come up to me all the time."

"Surely there's got to be at least one that you like…" He asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Was he dreaming or did his palms get slightly wetter? Come one Shikamaru…it was just a simple, normal everyday question. No reason not to ask it… "Seima?

"Huh? Seima?" She replied, puzzled. "How do you know Seima?"

Shikamaru replied, trying to sound as though he didn't care. "Your brother mentioned him. He said that Seima was… I dunno… a close friend."

She gave him a look, still confused. "Yeah… He's a guy I've known since childhood. But we're just friends… Why are you asking anyway?"

"Eh? No reason… just curious to what kind of nutcase would be unlucky enough to be your boyfriend." He said quickly.

The both of them drew in a sharp breath at that, but for different reasons. Temari feeling completely insulted, and Shikamaru dismayed at being so transparent. He groaned to himself, how much more obvious could he get?

Thankfully Temari didn't seem to notice. She harrumphed, "I don't _have_ a boyfriend now… not that it's any of your business. But rest assured, pineapple head, that my guy will be twice the shinobi you are! Not like that's very hard…' She sneered mockingly.

"Yeah… and hen-pecked too I suppose," he grinned, not feeling the slightest bit insulted. He didn't even lose the grin when she smacked his shoulder furiously. Well there was one more question answered…

He cleared his throat, trying not to grin, knowing Temari would only get more irritated. "Anyway… as I was saying that means Suna is beginning to trust him isn't it? Your brother I mean. That's a positive step."

Well well… Shikamaru wasn't that bad sometimes, she decided. Nodding her head, she opened her mouth to say something, but he wasn't done yet. "But that doesn't mean he has the right to be Kazekage yet."

She stared at him, taken aback by his words. She felt a little betrayed by him then; because that was exactly what Baki had said. Temari didn't reply, her expression suddenly a mixture of sadness and disappointment, before turning away. He felt a slight tug at his heart when she did that. But it had to be said; he didn't want to lie to her about what he thought.

"I suppose you think I'm being very… difficult don't you… Childishly arguing and causing a commotion over this." She said in a small voice, not looking at him. He looked at her, awkward, still feeling that tug. This was something else she was sensitive about, he realized, being thought of as a child. Which explained her outburst earlier.

Shikamaru faked a yawn, not wanting her to feel embarrassed. He tried not to stare at her, but it distressed him to see her like that. Again that strange feeling hit him. He could suddenly see a scenario appear in his mind. He could see himself reaching out to touch her cheek, gently turning her face towards him and gazing deep into her eyes. He could practically see those aforementioned green eyes, slightly wet, looking back at him, wondering what was going to happen.

But he caught hold of himself; this wasn't some sappy comic. And he wasn't that kind of guy. Besides, he had just found out that she didn't have a boyfriend. That was as far as he wanted to take things today. Anything else was just too dangerous and troublesome.

He chose his words carefully. "Troublesome yes..." He paused, waiting to see if she would turn around, but she didn't so he continued. "But childish… never." He grinned to himself; a little white lie wouldn't hurt.

Still not turning to look at him, she said "But you agree with them?"

He shrugged, them must be the advisors. "Temari, Kazekage is a big deal. I don't deny that he is capable but worthy… I can't say that I know for sure."

He sat up, cracking his neck muscles, before continuing. "He has to prove himself first. And if that was easy to do so, then being Kazekage would mean nothing."

Finally she turned around, but just a bit, just enough to look at him from the corner of her eyes. But even from that position he could see her green eyes glinting, slightly wet. Uncomfortable, he turned away from them, before saying, "As you said, Suna has already begun to accept him. Sooner or later, the advisors will too. The only thing is-"

She scowled, "I know I know… But how do you prepare someone to be Kazekage?"

"How on earth would I know something like that?" He laughed. "You'd be better off asking Naruto."

"That blonde brat?? Are you serious?" Temari said, her eyes wide in astonishment. "He wants to be Hokage?"

Shikamaru replied with a half-smile, "He says it everywhere he goes. It's Hokage this… hokage that… He fully expects to be Hokage in a few years."

She scoffed, "He may have beaten Gaara… but he's still not that much! How does someone like him expect to be Hokage?!"

Shikamaru didn't reply, just continued to look at her with a knowing grin. Temari persisted "Hokage is the strongest shinobi in all the countries, it's not something that he can aspire to so easi…." She trailed off realizing what she just said.

He laughed as she grinned sheepishly at him. "Naruto may be one of the biggest losers around woman. May even be disliked by lots of people. But," he said, raising a finger to scratch his jaw, "he will be Hokage."

He smirked at her, "Trust me. He knows it won't be easy… but that's not going to stop him." Her answer was a skeptical look which he ignored.

"How about you?" he said, "You giving up?"

"Me?" Temari raised any eyebrow. "I thought you just said it was up to Gaara?"

He gave her her are-you-stupid-look back, "I know what I said woman. But someone still needs to be making a commotion with those advisors don't they?"

Amused, she grinned back. "Oh…So I should continue then?"

"Of course." He nodded seriously. "Give them the hell that only you can."

"You think that'll work?" She asked back, just as serious.

"Woman," he said gravely, moving closer to her, "If I was one of the advisors, they'd be crowning Gaara right now."

They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before bursting out laughing together. This seemed to be becoming a habit. She looked at him as she laughed, giving him a strange smile. "What?" He asked uneasily.

"Nah… just didn't expect you to be able to laugh so much." She said with a mischevious smile.

He turned his head away, feeling a blush in his cheeks. "What are you talking about…? You've been laughing the whole night too…"

"Yeah… but you're always like everything is a drag… so troublesome. I never thought you could even see joy in anything. Other than clouds," she added.

"No… Shougi's pretty fun as well…" He replied languidly. "I like shougi as well…"

"Really?" Temari looked at him in surprise. "I thought those kind of things would be too troublesome." He didn't reply, only shrugged at her. "Hmmm… I'll have to remember that." She said thoughtfully.

He gave her a puzzled look, "Ok… you do that if you want…"

She smiled coyly, "Oh… I will." And grinned again.

Shikamaru stared at her in dismay; he knew what that smile meant. He'd seen Ino give the same look to Sasuke a million times. Now it was really time to go. He sat up quickly, and yawned as loudly, trying to give the impression he was exhausted.

But he wasn't fooling Temari. She was well aware of the effect she was having on him. It was kind of fun to see him so off-balance, she thought giggling to herself. However, it was kind of late, and she did have a long day tomorrow.

"Alright lazy bum… I get the message. Let's go, "She said, standing up. 'She took extra care, dusting herself slowly; well-aware that Shikamaru was pretending not to stare at her.

Without a word, she leapt down to the ground. Shikamaru followed her after a few seconds, landing right beside her. He didn't say anything; just looked down the road. Very shyly, she thought. And very cute.

She decided not to say anything either, struggling hard not to smile. Nudging him with her elbow, she started down the alley. He tried to walk as slow as possible, lagging behind her, but Temari also slowed her steps down so that didn't work. He tried not to panic. Things were moving in a direction he was no longer in control off. Temari was in charge right now, and damn if that didn't scare him.

Coming to the intersection, he tried his last idea. Muttering a quick bye, he tried to make a dash for the relative safety of his hotel. He only took 3 steps, before Temari's voice rang out asking him if he was going to let a woman walk home alone.

Trapped by his own words.

* * *

He hung his head, as he followed her back to her place, cursing himself with every step. Beside him, Temari looked at him, bemused. He really did look very miserable. Maybe this wasn't a game anymore….

She stopped in her tracks. "Get lost if you want."

He looked at her warily, "What are you talking about?"

"It feels like you're walking to your execution." She snorted. "I must really be that much of a drag."

Shikamaru straightened up, feeling discomfited for being so obvious. He exhaled sheepishly at her, recognizing that he was overacting a bit. Besides the night was almost done; what more could possibly happen?

He smirked at her, "It's not 'drag' Temari, its trou-"

"Troublesome." She finished, rolling her eyes. "I'm well aware."

"Good." He replied, "Then let's get going." He sauntered the street not waiting for her. She caught up with him a few steps later, giving him an exasperated look, "I just said it's all right. You can leave."

Shikamaru snorted at her, "And what if you get attacked? I don't know if an inexperienced Chunnin like you can handle it…"

She laughed, "Even if I was attacked, I wouldn't be asking help from you."

He raised an eyebrow inquiringly, "So you'd rather get captured or killed rather than ask for my help?"

"Wasn't that obvious?" She said innocently, her eyes opened wide. He had to laugh. Cute. She could really be cute sometimes.

They didn't say much to each other for the rest of the walk. But it seemed that the sidewalks of Suna had shrunk, because they kept bumping elbows every now and then. Every bump sent a thrill down Temari's neck. And every bump made Shikamaru swallow hard.

Calm down, he told himself, it's almost over. Just say goodnight and you're done. You can leave tomorrow early morning and no one will ever have to know. He tried to reassure himself, but all those reasons vanished every time he caught sight of Temari glancing at him from the corner of her eyes and blushing slightly.

Uh oh.

Uh.

Oh.

About a few meters from her house, she suddenly stopped and placed her hands on her hips. He groaned out loud and stomped up to her side, "What now, woman??"

"Nothing, "she shrugged innocently, lifting a finger to twirl a strand of hair. "Something wrong?"

Yes, he wanted to shout. Yes, standing like this, was something wrong. Twirling your hair was something wrong. He began to sweat; wondering what would happen if her brothers happen to come out then. Catching him in this position. Not that it was so compromising, but he had the feeling Gaara wouldn't exactly wait to hear an explanation before crushing his bones. He was too close to her, he thought agitatedly. Too close. Close enough to see right into those green eyes.

Not good.

Temari too was no longer grinning. She slowly let the strand of hair slip from her fingers, as she dropped her arms to her side. She could feel her heartbeat and her pulse started to quicken.

Shikamaru was so close. She could hear him breathing heavily. For a moment a voice did, come into her head then, asking her what she was doing with this guy. What she was about to do. They were in public, and right by her house for god's sakes!

But the words seemed to peter out as she gazed at him. Trust wasn't something she gave out easily, but he had earned it. There were plenty of guys chasing her, and it wasn't like she was still innocent. But no one had ever treated her like how Shikamaru did. He insulted her, teased her and in spite of everything, tried to listen to her. In one week, he had somehow transformed himself from just interesting, to something much more in her eyes. There was no feeling of hesitation or unwillingness, only anticipation ruled.

She leaned closer to him, eyes slowly closing.

* * *

He nearly yelped in surprise as she leaned closer to him, eyes closed. Time seemed to stop as he suddenly found the few seconds in between expanding. He took a deep breath, finally considering things calmly, and knowing that he wanted to do it. Just lean in and plant his lips on her.

But if he did that, he wasn't sure what was going to happen. What if her brothers happen to pass-by? Or if anyone saw them in this position. And what would happen to whatever friendship they had?

Forget everything he had done up to this point, accompanying her to her spot, sleeping over in her room, even the suggestive banter they had going. Did he really think he could have a relationship with this girl who was three years older, and was the princess from another village?

If he kissed her now, they could never go back to what they had been.

* * *

Temari could only stare at his retreating back, hearing nothing but the roaring of blood in her ears. He had walked away from her. Just left her looking like a fool, leaning in for a kiss that would never happen. Just like that. Pushing her away from him like she was something undesirable.

Her face was burning; she could feel it even in the cool air. Shame and embarrassment flooded their way through her, slowly turning to hurt. She turned away, hoping that no one had been watching them both.

She had been pretty depressed throughout the week and she had held them back always; even at times she didn't think she could. But it was only as she entered her house and went into her room tonight, did the inevitable happen.

* * *

He didn't even look back as he walked, forcing any thoughts of her from his mind. The decision was made.

This troublesome week was already done.


	13. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 11

**So much to say! I was kinda disappointed that I got so little reviews for the last chapter seeing as it was one that was kind of important. ****But a big thank you to all those who still bothered. Though I realized that a lot of pple got angry with Shikamaru. On a personal note, please think your thoughts from Shikamaru's POV as well. **

**And I know "Stupid Baka" is redundant, but I just like the sound of it.**

**Anyway the last scene in this chapter is something I took from a movie. It's not exactly the same thing but the same idea. Congrats to anyone who can tell me the movie!! **

**I wrote an entirely different take of this chapter two days ago but deleted the whole chunk because it was just too sentimental.**** Finally I hope most of you will find some fulfillment in this chapter's ending. I know I did.**

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, **

**Chapter 11: ****Farewell my dear Karasu.**

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the sand colored ceiling. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, trying his best to not think. The ceiling stared back at him, saying nothing and making him feel even worse.

He sighed; it was useless because no matter how much he tried, no matter how much he tried to blank out his thoughts, they just kept going back to her. He felt like he had just taken on an A-rank mission and failed miserably. Miserably.

It was already around 8 plus, he realized, looking at the wall-clock. Time to get up. This was his last day in this village. He was supposed to meet Tendou-san at the government building at 10 and leave together. She had been quite acidic when informing him that if he was late, she would leave without him. He had grinned at that yesterday, but today the idea terrified him. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts at the moment even though he knew he should have been happy to leave this place; it had been nothing but troublesome to him. All sorts of nonsense had happened in this wretched week.

He got up, heading to the toilet, grumpily throwing his towel over the mirror, not really wanting to see himself. Why was he in such a state? This wasn't like him. The happy-go lucky Shikamaru… Where was that guy now? He wondered what Chouji would say if he told him about last night. He didn't need to wonder about Ino; she would probably have slapped him. Not that he deserved it, he thought uneasily.

He picked up his brush and put the toothpaste on it. If he hurried, he could get some breakfast before he had to meet Tendo-san. Although… what if he met with …? He brushed harder, feeling his palms start to sweat. What the hell would they say to each other then??

Hmmm maybe breakfast wasn't too good an idea. He gargled and spit out, pulling his towel off the mirror to wipe his mouth. He stared at his reflection glumly for a while, before flinging his brush into the sink.

Damn it, he thought irritably. Did he deserve the slap? What else was he supposed to do? Kiss her back?

Now there was a thought. He grabbed his towel and removed his clothes. Stepping into the shower, he felt the cold spray hit his face, jolting him slightly. He stood motionless for a few seconds, just letting the water trickle down his body. There wasn't anything else to do. If he didn't deal with this now, he would be having a headache about it for god-knows how long. Shikamaru heaved another sigh, before allowing his thoughts to slowly drift back to her, to last night, and to a choice he had made so hastily.

Temari must have been furious with him for rejecting her like that. But he didn't know what else to do at that moment. Kissing her would have been… a mistake, no matter what anyone would think. If he kissed her while he was unsure… then it would mean squat. And it wasn't like he didn't want to. More than once, he had found himself imagining what it would be like to kiss her. But yesterday just wasn't right to him. It would have been a failure, even worse if he hadn't walked away.

But she would never see it like that, he thought ruefully. To her, he had just committed arguably the biggest sin in the world, on a personal level. He winced to himself, as he thought about how she had been so surprised when he gently pushed her back. She had stared at him, speechless then.

Which would hardly be the case, he reckoned, if they did meet up again. She'd probably try to kill him for real this time if she got the chance. Thank god, he had walked away before she had time to react. If not…

Shikamaru wondered how she was right now. He couldn't really see Temari acting depressed right now. Moping over him. That was damn near impossible…right? He was pretty sure that, before what happened at the end last night, she did like him. The way she kept glancing over, blushing when he teased her, and the way she kept bumping elbows…. And right now, he was also pretty sure she didn't quite have the same feelings.

Or maybe…just maybe, he _was_ just over-reacting. Maybe Temari wasn't so affected. Maybe she was just surprised. Maybe she didn't really care. And the next time they met up, she would just tease him about what a scardey-cat he was. And he would tease her back and things would all go back to normal. They would stay on their sides of the line this time…

Yeah right.

He groaned, hating that voice in his head, hating it for making him feel like the biggest fool ever. In retrospect, leaving a girl hanging like that, when she bared her feelings…

Maybe coward was a better choice of words.

How was he ever going to fix this? Or did he want to fix it? He ping-ponged back and forth, still not sure what it was that he wanted. He liked Temari…maybe. And Temari also liked him… well not anymore he supposed.

The main problem, he realized, the reason he couldn't solve the issue with Temari right now was that… he wasn't sure why he had chickened out. Why had he pulled away, when everything he had done in the first place was leading up to that point? Last night, everything seemed right. He believed as he walked back in the darkness that he had been doing it for both of them. To preserve the friendship they had going…

But was that really the case? He scrubbed his face with soap, trying to think back to what was going through his mind when Temari was leaning in last night.

He slowly shampooed his hair, trying to analyze his thoughts. Yes… he was scared last night when she had leaned in last night… but not of _her_. He had spent almost a whole week with her and he never felt like that before. It was more… more that he was scared to commit to anything. Scared to _do_ anything because it was just too troublesome and he knew things would only get more troublesome if he did do anything.

Was that it, he thought, slightly dismayed. Had he done what he did, just because he was afraid things would get too troublesome? Pushed away a girl he wanted, a girl that had opened up to him because he was just too damn lazy???

Wait a minute… He rubbed his eyes, feeling like an idiot. This was his character. This was how he had always been from young. Why did he have to feel so guilty for simply reacting as he should have?

The feeling of unease didn't go away this time, even with all the excuses that flooded in. Deep in his heart, he was well aware, it was his fault. It was…

Damn, damn, damn! If he had been trying to avoid troublesome issues, then why were things still troublesome?!?

He leaned his head on the bathroom wall, and started to bang it.

* * *

As he was banging, he suddenly heard a noise in the room. He narrowed his eyes; an intruder now? He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around himself, leaving the shower on, so whoever it was wouldn't know that he was alerted.

It couldn't be an enemy… unless it was Temari here to kill him. Or more likely she had sent someone else. Like one of her brothers maybe… But if it was Gaara, then he would already be flying through Suna in a towel. He started to get annoyed; this was exactly what he didn't need now.

Flinging the door open with a scowl, he glared at his would-be attacker. They stared back at each other for a few seconds, before Shikamaru grabbed his clothes, and turned to go back into the bathroom. And locked it.

Damn him, thought Shikamaru.

Well, at least, he now knew how Temari was feeling.

* * *

He grabbed the towel and threw it into the laundry basket. His hair was still a little wet, but he decided to let the sun dry it out. Tying it into his usual pony-tail, he exited the bathroom and started packing his stuff. His jacket had been delivered earlier and he picked it up and took a whiff. Whew, much better.

Grabbing the rest of his stuff, he threw them into his bag, all the while trying to ignore the silent figure of Karasu sitting on the bed that seemed to stare at him no matter from which direction he glanced. He decided not to tidy the bed; he wasn't quite sure how he would have asked the doll to get up to let him do so anyway.

Yosh, he thought, that was all his stuff. Putting on his jacket, he glanced at the clock again. 9 plus… Now all he had to do was to meet the mediators. He put on his jacket, forcing himself to whistle nonchalantly. With a false cheerfulness, he picked up his bag and made his way out of the hotel as quickly as possible, barely acknowledging the clerk at the front desk.

As he made his way towards the government building, he found his thoughts wandering back to an earlier conclusion. So he was to blame. And Temari was upset… But was it a sad upset, or an angry upset? And how did he apologize exactly?

Sorry I didn't kiss you?

He sighed, no matter which 'upset' it was, it must have been bad enough for Kankuro to send Karasu… who, by the way, was still following him albeit from the rooftops. Shikamaru stopped in his tracks, trying not to curse out loud in public. He could see the doll sticking its head out from the roof as though staring at him.

And even from that distance he could see the piece of burnt toast it held in its hand. Like someone had cast a high level fire-jutsu on a piece of bread it looked.

If he missed the meeting with Tendou-san, it would probably be the last straw. She would probably complain to the Godaime about him who would probably nag at him as well. Or worse… tell his _mom_.

But on the other hand, if he didn't fix this problem, he had a feeling that the _other_ brother would be coming to see him.

Sand and dolls… against an irritated Godaime.

* * *

He munched on a bun, trying his best to avoid the looks people were giving him. That god-forsaken doll was still following him! Every time he turned sharply, it would hide behind some resident or by the side of the road. Who the hell did it think it was kidding?

He was so irritated that he almost felt like giving it a piece of his mind. But then he realized it was just a doll. He was getting angry over a doll. Surely the doll wouldn't follow him back all the way to Konoha would it??

Would it?

He stopped in his tracks and turned around; it was no use. This matter wasn't going to be allowed to die off. It was time to do something troublesome now.

* * *

As he made his way to the Sabakuno residence, he wondered if Temari had told her brothers what happened exactly. Which was quite impossible actually. Temari telling her brothers that a guy had refused to kiss her… They wouldn't have exactly been angry. In fact, they'd probably be pleased.

But still for Karasu, (who had given up the pretense of stealth and was now dragging itself _beside_ him,) to come must have meant that they knew Temari must have been upset because of him.

Or maybe… they didn't know and they just wanted him to make her not upset. After all, they had assigned him to keep her entertained. He snorted causing Karasu to turn its head and look at him; if that was what they were hoping, then they were going to be sadly mistaken.

He increased his pace a little, noticing the looks people were giving him just got weirder. How the hell was that stupid thing doing that?

He knew he was avoiding the biggest problem of all, but he couldn't think of anyway to solve it then. What the hell was he going to say to Temari when he saw her? Sorry? Or should he laugh it off? Or maybe start joking and teasing her?

Man… this was troublesome. The Shikamaru he knew wouldn't have even bothered to do anything. He would have just gone home and left it at that.

But another thought struck him then; she _wasn't _just a stranger. She was a friend. And maybe never more after last night, but it didn't mean he had the right to do as he did, and walk away. He stuck his hands in his pocket; he still didn't know what to do and he was already here. He stood outside the gate, wondering if he should enter. The door was open and he could smell the aroma of burnt food.

Very burnt.

And he could also hear pots banging about. The way someone attacking them would sound.

His nerves started to fail, as he backed away slowly, only to bump into Karasu. He jumped, and brushed his jacket off, staring at the doll uneasily, who stared back at him with a mad grin. Ok, so he wasn't going to be allowed to leave. But he still didn't know what to say.

He listened a little more. The banging wasn't sad, it was furious. Temari must be absolutely furious. A girl like her only became really furious when she was embarrassed and hurt. He sighed, hanging his head. For her to be this angry… He must have really hurt her yesterday.

Stupid, stupid. He cursed himself, you're so stupid Shikamaru. Is this what you wanted? And you were even thinking of running away? He felt a new resolve come over him. He had to fix this. He didn't want things between them to end like this. Personally, he_ wasn't_ ok with that.

* * *

**Inside**

Kankuro stared at his plate. It was a nice contrast, he decided, the white plate against the black … Hmmm….he squinted and poked at it with his fork. What ever it was. He wondered what would happen if he ate it; whether his stomach would slowly try to kill itself, or whether he would just drop dead immediately.

One of the two anyway… he knew he wasn't going to be able to escape this time. Temari was extremely sensitive about them finishing her food. More so when she was in this kind of mood. He slowly massaged his sore jaw. She was also incredibly good at knowing when it was that he threw the food away. And she would hurt him more.

He shivered, hearing something hit the kitchen wall.

Besides Gaara would have never let him do that. But the shoe was on the other foot now; Gaara himself was just staring at his plate, scared to try it. Both brothers gave each other a despairing look, wincing as they heard more banging. (Well Kankuro winced; Gaara just narrowed his eyebrows more.) He wasn't quite sure what had happened last night, but he knew it had something to do with that shadow punk.

He knew because all he had done was to just ask Temari if the guy was still in Suna. Asked mind you, not joked, but just asked her. Not even in his usual teasing way, not even with a smirk. Just asked.

He massaged his sore jaw again as he stared at the food; for a girl she had quite a punch. And if he still wasn't sure about her answer, the foo- charcoal in front of him and the banging going on in the kitchen were enough to come to a conclusion.

Whatever it was, she was upset with the kid. So he had sent Karasu to retrieve the 'hero'. Speaking of which… looks like he had come. Heh, the party could now start. The kid slowly entered the hall, peering around cautiously, groaning when he caught sight of the 2 brothers.

Both of them glared at him, making him drop his head to avoid their stares. "I know… I know…" He said gloomily. All three jumped when a particularly loud bang was heard from the kitchen.

Kankuro held a hand towards his brother, hoping that Gaara wouldn't jump the gun. "Fix it kid."

Shikamaru looked away, uncomfortably. Now it was Kankuro's turn to narrow his eyes, "I don't care what you did or how bad it is. Fix it!"

He stood up and went over to Shikamaru and poked him in the chest, "I don't have a mission tomorrow and if I have to eat this cra- Temari!"

He bit down on his words (just missed his tongue by few centimeters) as Temari suddenly came into the room. She looked at her brothers, without a single trace of emotion. Without even acknowledging Shikamaru's presence, she said, "Are you done yet? I have to go down to see the advisors already!"

Shikamaru for his part too didn't say anything. He just stared at the ground, awkwardly. Kankuro looked back and forth at the two of them, before nodding his head slowly. Temari walked past the two of them to grab his and Gaara's plate.

Then Kankuro really knew something was wrong. Temari always made a fuss when he didn't finish his food and there was a huge piece on his plate left still. But Temari didn't even so much say a word; that was how distracted she was by the kid's presence. He began to wonder what exactly happened between the both of them.

"Oi… Temari…" the kid suddenly said. She ignored him, not even bothering to turn around. She picked up the dishes and was about to walk back to the kitchen when he stood in her way. She looked at him calmly; which was a bad sign. The kid didn't budge however.

She didn't say a word, didn't even yell at him to get out of her way; just stood there eyebrows raised. "Temari…" The kid said again, and stopped. He too, was thrown off by the lack of reaction from Temari, Kankuro thought.

"Temari…" he tried again, "about last nigh-"

"It's fine kid." She replied unemotionally. "Don't worry about it."

Even Gaara started at that. That was a tone they hadn't heard in a while. She never used it unless she was really angry. Wow, he thought exchanging a quick glance at Gaara. And she had even called him kid. She never called him kid.

But if Shikamaru was insulted, he didn't show it. He continued again, "Look… I know… it wasn't right. Can we talk…?"

This time, there was a small reaction. Temari laughed contemptuously right in his face. "Do you think the world revolves around you, kid? Grow up…" She said scornfully. "Don't waste my time again." She shoved him aside rudely and started to pick up the other plates on the table.

Ouch, thought Kankuro. Ouch.

The kid was embarrassed, he could tell. And who wouldn't be. When she wanted to hurt someone, she really knew how to sink her claws in. Hell, she wasn't even trying to tease this time. It was just downright contempt and meanness. Whatever the kid had done, surely he didn't deserve that much.

Truthfully, he didn't really blame the kid; Temari could be quite a handful. Even though her public face was quite friendly and pleasant, she tended to be quite…

Hmmm… what was that word the kid liked to use… was it irritating or nois-…. Oh yeah, he snapped his fingers, troublesome! Temari could be immensely troublesome to the people that she was close to. Which was rather ironic, thinking about it.

Like her brothers, and Baki and Seima. Most of Suna never really saw that side of her, as she always tried to play the part of the gracious princess at home. But it was there all right; and it seemed to get worse the more she cared about the person. She could be blatantly mean sometimes… Just like the way she had been treating the kid.

At least this answered a question he had been having; whether or not she liked him. As in more than a friend. He had teased her couple of times about him, but they never really took things seriously. But then again, no one could be that mean to someone they didn't have feelings for.

He shook his head and sat down, looking at his sister pretend that Shikamaru didn't exist. The kid too, was red; trying to keep whatever shred of dignity was left. He was probably going to run straight home to Konoha. He doubted if the 2 would ever talk again.

Well, Temari would thank him for this later. He called out, "Have a seat Shikamaru. I want to talk to you about something," His sister didn't react, still pretending to wipe the table. But he could read his sister well enough to see her tense her muscles. Heh, he grinned, she was probably thinking of pounding him. The kid paused, unsure, giving Temari a glance, before taking a seat on the other side of where she was standing.

Kankuro exchanged glances with Gaara again. People thought he and his brother were strange but it was his sister that really took the cake. She liked this guy a lot. Enough to trust him inside her room, and spend the night out with him. And yet, she tried her best constantly to make sure the guy would dislike her.

But any guy that was unlucky enough to get his sister's attraction had enough troubles to deal with. He felt a little sorry for the kid as he lifted a hand to scratch his head, probably trying to make an excuse for a dignified exit. Which was no-

"Kankuro!" He jumped, hearing Temari's voice. He turned to her, startled. She glared at him and slammed the plate in front of him. "You haven't finished your food."

He sweat-dropped. She did notice! Damn it. This was probably revenge for asking the kid to stay. How the hell was he supposed to eat charcoal in the first place? It looked worse than some of the stuff that came from the sewer drains!

But he couldn't say that. That would have earned him a beat-down right there and then. He scowled at her, "Even Gaara didn't finish hi-.." He trailed off staring at Gaara's plate which was now as clean as a whistle. Gaara stared ahead at the empty space in front of him, studiously ignoring his brother's eyes.

_**That sneaky little punk.**_

He must have tossed it somewhere while Temari hadn't been looking. And he had left Kankuro to take the fall. This was why he hated kids. He gave Temari a feeble smile before picking up the piece of cra- toast. He stared at it, and swallowed nervously. The best way was to probably take the whole thing in one shot.

**Kankuro's POV**

Deep breath.

Bite.

Chew.

Swallow.

Deep breath…

Losing consciousness….

Need poison…

Kill me quickly….

Karas…..

Farewell……

…….

**Back to Inside House**

Temari smacked him hard on the head, "Stop being such an idiot!" she snarled before stomping back to the kitchen. Kankuro grimaced; his body couldn't take this anymore. First the jaw, then the stomach, now the head as well. He reached over and grabbed Shikamaru's jacket, pulling him towards them.

"Fix it." He growled. "Or I'll kill you."

Shikamaru dropped back into the chair, feeling more desperate than ever. Fix it? Had he even been watching the events earlier? How was he supposed to deal with her contempt? He had wanted to get out as fast as he could. Nothing was worth this… How was he supposed to explain that to these two?

Gaara stood up, not taking his eyes off Shikamaru. Kankuro also continued to glower as he grabbed Karasu. Clutching his stomach with his other hand, he made his way to door, all the while still giving Shikamaru the evil eye. As they were both about to exit, all three heard a loud crash from the kitchen.

Shikamaru stood up; he had had enough. He wasn't even sure what that noise was. As soon as they were gone, he would make his escape as well. Kankuro had shaken his head upon hearing the noise. Probably some glass suffering from Temari's wrath. But Gaara's face expression had suddenly turned thoughtful.

He motioned Shikamaru to come closer, which of course he obeyed albeit warily. Gaara looked at him unemotionally for a few seconds before saying, "Temari doesn't like to show when she's hurt."

That was all he said, as he turned and walked out the door. Kankuro gave Shikamaru another glare before following his brother out. Shikamaru stared at the door after they left. Hurt? She was hurt? Were they eve….

Wait… That made sense actually. Temari hated to come across as weak. And what she had said, the tone she used… She just wanted to hurt him back!

Troublesome woman…, he thought slightly fondly. He should have known that was the case. So she wanted him to apologize, but she didn't want to admit that it hurt her. He spun around and slowly crept up to the kitchen door. Well actually, he could understand that. At least he had been right about one thing; girls were really troublesome. And ok, it was also his fault for being such a baby… He grinned to himself even though he knew he might have to do something more troublesome now.

Creeping up to the kitchen door, he peeked in. He could see Temari flinging the door to a small cupboard open and rummaging through it. He looked over the room, and saw the source of the noise. A glass was lying on the table top, in pieces. And the way she was holding her right hand, she must have cut it or something.

He straightened up; looking at her back. He swallowed the groin and tried to come up with a plan. He had to be sure what he was going to do. Temari would just as soon clobber him if he got too near to her. He had to approach her quietly.

Temari rummaged through the cupboard before she found the medicine box. Opening it, she grabbed the tweezers with her left hand, holding back the angry tears in her eyes. Stupid, stupid, she thought, unconsciously echoing Shikamaru. It was just a cut… just some small pieces of glass in her hand. Nothing to cry about. She'd gotten worse before.

Damn it, she thought angrily, damn that asshole! Why was he here in the first place? Why couldn't he have just gotten lost to Konoha? She grabbed a piece of tissue and was about to pick the glass pieces out of her hand when she realized someone was behind her.

She whirled defensively, aiming for a vital spot. But Shikamaru caught her hand, calmly looking at her. They didn't speak, only looked at each other. "Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine, let go of me!" She said furiously, coming to life and trying to grab her hand back. But he didn't let go. In fact he tried to reach for her other hand. Getting a little scared, she tried to pull away but failed again. He took her injured hand but didn't let go of the other. Feeling more and more incensed, she raised her voice, "I told you never to touch me asshole. Let go of me now!"

He ignored her, still keeping his cool demeanor. Looking over it, he turned back to her and said, "There are some pieces still in the wound. Give me the tweezers." He tried to take them, but she snatched her hand away.

She wasn't sure what she was feeling then. Angry, scared, embarrassed… It was just like back at that stupid spot all over again. She stared at him, breathing heavily, "I can do it myself."

He replied calmly, "It's better if someone else's does it."

He gazed at her impassively, making her feel even angrier. Just what was he thinking… There was no way she wanted him to help. This insufferable asshole...

Shikamaru sighed, and grabbed the tweezers out of her good hand, before she could react. He tightened his grip on her injured hand, trying to stop the blood flow. Slowly, he had to do this slowly.

Shikamaru looked the wound over again, before looking back at her. "This might hurt a bit." He said, looking straight into her eyes. Temari looked away quickly, embarrassed but furious as well. For some reason, she was finding it harder to breath. But still she didn't pull away.

He spoke, as he edged the tweezers nearer, "It was a pretty stupid thing to do. Hurting yourself like that." She sucked in a breath, hurt. Before she could try to pull away again, he continued, "But what do I know right… I've been doing some stupid things myself." He gently pulled out one of the pieces of glass in the wound. Dropping it on the table, he turned back to her and asked quietly, "Did it hurt?"

She looked away, frightened by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice. Her breath quickened, as she shook her head timidly. He nodded and resumed his work. Again he spoke, "I guess we all do stupid things sometimes without really thinking… Did it hurt?" He asked again, placing the second piece on the table.

Her hand snaked to her chest, trying to get the beating of her heart under control. The way he looked at her… she couldn't breathe, she couldn't do anything else. Her face was hot with blood. Pull away Temari, she thought, and run… as fast as you can…. Quickly, before something happens…

But still she did neither, and she shook her head again, this time unable to look away from him. He nodded, giving her a smile, which caused her heartbeat to race. "Yosh…" he said, "one last piece." He grabbed her hand tighter this time, and pulled her nearer to him.

"Sorry is a lousy thing to say isn't it…" He said nonchalantly, focused on his task, "The better thing to do… is to make up for our mistakes."

Temari could feel his body heat radiate towards her and the thoughts in her mind were racing as she stared at the back of his neck. She tried to get a grip of herself. Putting as much anger into her voice, she asked "What do you mea- Ahh!" she cried out softly, giving Shikamaru a hurt look. He held out the third piece of glass which was the biggest one of all. He leaned in closer as he dropped the tweezers onto the table. "Did it hurt?" He asked tenderly.

She almost whimpered as she nodded slowly, frightened by his closeness. He leaned even closer; their noses were almost touching as he replied, with a slight smirk "Me too."

Temari reddened, and tried to pull away but he still wasn't letting go however. That cheeky baka….Their eyes caught, she tried to struggle but to no avail. He leaned in even closer, their lips now just inches from touching.

Both of them were breathing heavily now, and his hand gently tipped her chin towards him. "Just to make things clear woman…" he whispered in her ear, the smirk on his face growing, "The man should always make the first move."

Insufferable ass! She knew then what Shikamaru wanted to do, and it crossed her mind to do the same thing he had done last night. I'll teach that baka a lesson, she thought, he'll regre-

Maybe if he had hesitated, she would have pulled away.

But thankfully, he _didn't_ give her that chance.

**Was it too sappy? Was it completely OOC? I spent hours worrying if it was just unlike them to act like so. Please let me know what you think.**


	14. The Troublesome Week, Chapter 12

**Author Notes: **Done! This arc only I mean. There's still many, many more chapters coming up… although it may take sometime. Thanks to everyone for their very helpful reviews. You made sure, that I didn't stray away from TemaShika's personalities. Also kudos to **bienstitch **for guessing the movie the chapter earlier was taken from. There's also another line taken from one of my favorite TV-shows included in this chapter, though it may be harder to guess.

Some of you also mentioned that the Sand siblings were kind of o.k. about Shikamaru and their sister. To which, I would reply, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

I'm also really sorry about the spacing between paragraphs. It just seems so squeezed up and makes it hard to read.

And yes, "He swallowed the groan." Not groin. Sorry.

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **The Troublesome Week, **

**Chapter 12****: Taking the Blame.**

He rubbed his sore jaw as he walked on his way to meet the Konoha mediators. They had probably left without him; it was almost 11 now. He sighed; the Godaime would definitely hear about this when he got back. Then it would be Shikamaru this, Shikamaru that….

Troublesome, he thought, and all because of that nutcase of a woman.

Thankfully his cheek wasn't swelling, or he'd have to explain how he came back with a swollen face in a peaceful non- combat mission. He tried to focus on coming up with explanations for the Godaime as to the many things he was sure Tendo-san would report about him. But like this morning, his thoughts just kept going back to one person. He sighed; he just couldn't win. No matter what he did, things just seemed to get more and more troublesome.

Anyway, he thought sourly, what did it mean if the girl punched you after you kissed her?

* * *

**Flashback**

He pulled his lips away from hers, breathing hard. Unbelievable. Who would have ever thought that kissing a girl would be so… so…

He opened his eyes to look at Temari, but her eyes were still closed. She was still leaning on him slightly, also breathing heavily. Her cheeks were flushed, which only made her look more attractive. It crossed his mind then, glancing at her lips, to go in for another one. Her body was incredibly warm in his arms. But it wasn't an unpleasant warmth, he thought, it was the kind of heat that he could feel in his blood, coursing through his veins and it felt … nice! He never imagined that kissing Temari would be this un-troublesome.

She opened her eyes slowly and blushed even more, realizing he had been watching her. He had to admit; sometimes the coy look worked on her. He had never seen her act so shy, and it kind of excited him. He gazed at her, completely entranced by her green eyes.

Which was why he didn't see the left hook coming.

Stupid, stupid.

* * *

**Back to Present**

How could he let himself be taken in like that? He shook his head. It was the oldest trick in the world; a woman using her feminine wiles to catch the man off-focus. And he completely fell for it. The number one supremely un-romantic, dislike-all women guy.

And it didn't end there. After socking him, she started throwing whatever she could lay her hands on, at him. He had barely escaped, running as fast as he could from the projectiles aimed at him. He hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of her face as she tried to nail him. In his mind, he knew he had to escape before she got to her fan.

So he ran and ran, stopping only at a safe distance from the house, when he was sure she wasn't following up. Crazy woman. What the hell was her problem?

Was he _that_ bad a kisser? Well it was his first time… so maybe admittedly his technique wasn't the best. But it didn't seem that bad. And it wasn't like she didn't enjoy it. Heh, Shikamaru grinned to himself. Maybe he had forced her slightly into the kiss…

But, he damn well wasn't the one who wrapped her arms around his waist.

Troublesome woman. When he didn't kiss her, she got mad. When he did kiss her, she still got mad. He sighed wearily; how had men ever been able to deal with women?

Anyway… here he was at the government building, where another troublesome woman awaited. Or not. He walked in and looked around. Nope she wasn't here at all. He should have known.

Oh well, at least he would have some peace on the way back. Turning to go, a voice called out to him, "Nara-san?"

He turned back to see the desk clerk holding a piece of paper in her hand. She asked again, "Gomen, are you Nara-san?"

She held out the piece of paper towards him. He took it, a little surprised, thanking her. She nodded and went back to her desk. He unfolded the paper, wondering what this was about. Surely it couldn't be that Yara again…

No… it was actually from Tendo-san. It seems the mediators were still in meeting. And requested his presence when he felt like arriving. Hmmm… this woman had quite an acid tongue. He grinned; for some reason, he didn't feel so put out this time. As he made his way up the stairs, he wondered why it was that he was feeling so cheerful. It was sort of eerie…

* * *

**3 Hrs Later**

Well… at least that cheerful feeling was gone. He groaned to himself as they left the room, trying not to yawn in front of everyone. 3 hours… Kami… 3 troublesome hours! And he still wasn't sure what had been the issue. Never again, he thought, never again would he put up with this nonsense. Next time they wanted to huff and puff, he would recommend straight–up war.

Tendo-san and the other mediator, (whose name he had never bothered to remember) were still talking to one of the lords. His cheerful mood earlier was gone now, and he felt a little gloomy, realizing he still had to spend the journey back with them.

Oh well… at least he was out of this troublesome village. And he didn't have to deal with _her_ anymore. Without meaning to, he found himself glancing around surreptitiously, wondering if she was around. She had said that she had to meet the advisors right?

Are you crazy Shikamaru, he thought crossly. Why the hell would you want to see her again? She'd probably try to hit you with her fan. The best thing to do was to avoid her completely.

That crazy, troublesome woma-

Shikamaru paused.

"Nara-san." came a voice behind him.

Shikamaru had to admit.

He wasn't _that_ disappointed to hear her voice.

* * *

He turned around slowly, trying to come up with some sort of game plan. He looked at her with the laziest expression he could muster, throwing in a yawn for extra effect. She looked at him solemnly, without any emotion. 

Ok… so she didn't look angry anymore. And she wasn't flinging things at him. Mood change again? Now it was her turn to play the impassive character this time. She looked at him calmly, without even the slightest bit of emotion. It was hard to believe what happened this morning had happened.

Well, she looked different; he thought to himself, it looked like the usual Temari was back. The sulky frown was gone, as were the worried look in her eyes that he had noticed so often the last few days. He gave her a quick once-over, (discreetly of course). The skirt was as short as ever and the fan was back in place. Her hair was also arranged in her usual ponytails.

He also tried his best not to look at her lips.

People were beginning to stare at them now since they were not doing anything other than look at each other. He realized he had to make the first move or they would be staring at each other till kingdom come, and tongues would start wagging. Troublesome woman, he thought, feeling annoyed.

"Hai?" He said languidly. She narrowed her eyes just the slightest bit before replying, "The package that belongs to Yamanaka-san can be collected now."

Package?

What she was talking about, he thought confusedly. Who was Yamana- Ohhhh… Ino... and her stupid roses. He had completely forgotten about them. So many things had happened since he handed them off to Temari. He was amazed that she remembered.

Damn it, he would have to carry that stupid thing back all the way. And why did she suddenly bring it up in front of everyone? "Ok…" he replied, albeit warily. "Where is it?"

She replied in the same detached tone, but he could suddenly see a smirk in her eyes. "The roses are still at the botany. You'll have to go there to get it."

Some of the people, who had been listening, gave him a queer look when she mentioned roses. Shikamaru had to take a deep breath, trying not to growl out loud. He clenched his fist forcing himself not to glare at her… Typical woman… he should have known she'd pull some stunt like this.

"Yosh…" he replied, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. It wouldn't benefit him to do or say anything to her now with so many people around. He nodded a curt goodbye to her as Tendo-san finished and came to stand next to him, hoping that she would go away now.

"Do you know the way?" She asked again, raising her eyebrows. Oh my god didn't this woman ever shu-… Shikamaru paused, realizing that he_ didn't_ know.

Shit.

"Nara-san?" said Temari a little louder this time, enough for everyone to hear. "Do you know the way? Once again, that compassionate look was on her face. He felt like reaching out and hitting her. Who the hell was she trying to kid??

Damn her, thought Shikamaru. Now everyone was listening and waiting for him to answer. Tendo-san was giving him a scandalized look for taking so long to answer. Tch… Temari knew he didn't know. She was doing this on purpose.

He opened his mouth to answer but was beaten to it by her, "If you're not sure, I can take you there."

Now that was something he definitely didn't want! He shook his head vigorously. "Daijoubo… I'll find my way. You don't have to trouble yourself."

"No," she replied infuriatingly, "It's no trouble."

This time, Tendo-san beat him to speak, "He'll be very grateful Temari-san." She bowed slightly to Temari who bowed back to her graciously. "Now, Shikamaru-kun," Temari bit a smile back at the name, "Temari-san has been nice enough to show you the way to pick up your package. Please hurry up and meet us at the gates after you're done." She had said it smilingly, but the word 'hurry' was sharp, like a knife almost.

And Temari stood at the side, pretending to looking benevolent, as though she had just done him a very big favor. He couldn't even glower at her. Trapped… all he could do was nod gloomily and follow her down the stairs.

* * *

Shikamaru decided as they were walking, that he was not going to talk to her. Not a word. He made sure also to keep a healthy distance between them. Admittedly, he was sulking, but this woman was too complicated to deal with. He didn't know what was going on in her head, and he didn't want to find out. Chances were that it would only make things more troublesome for him. 

Temari didn't say a word either, watching Shikamaru sulk and smiling to herself. He was purposely looking the other way as they walked. It was kinda cute, she decided, the sulky look was strangely adorable on him. She had always thought guys who did that were brats… but Shikamaru was different. Considering the events of the last few days, she knew he definitely wasn't some immature brat. He did it just because he was Shikamaru.

The silence was not altogether comfortable, but it was nothing she could do then. It was hard for them to talk as openly they sometimes did when there were so many people around them. After all, he was still a shinobi from another village… and she didn't want to seem overly friendly to him.

Not that she had been. She had made sure to keep her distance in public. Always making sure to be formal and mean to him. In private however… She was still mean but…

Temari blushed to herself, and shook her head trying to clear away the thoughts.

Shikamaru glanced at her, out of the corner of his eye. Did she have a smile on her lips? He wasn't quite sure. She was also giving the same silent treatment back to him which made it hard to gauge her current emotional level. Although….he bet that any minute, she would probably say something troublesome and insulting.

Temari continued to ignore him, although she did greet a couple of people as they walked, even pausing to chatter a little. Which of course meant that he also had to stop and wait. And she didn't even bother to say sorry or anything when they continued. He clenched his teeth as she gave him a nonchalant look.

_Well this was getting boring__…_ Even if it was kind of fun to try his patience. Temari supposed she could be the bigger person this time; after all… she grinned slightly, who had ever expected him to be such a good kisser?

Without turning, Temari suddenly said, "Oi… how much longer are you going to sulk scardey-cat?"

Shikamaru sighed.

See?

* * *

"I'm not sulking woman." He replied grumpily. 

Temari gave him a 'oh-please' look. "You are so sulking. Just like a girl."

He bit his tongue; it wasn't worth answering and continuing this troublesome conversation. Let her have her way. He would be gone in a few more minutes. There was no need to fall to her level.

Temari was surprised at the lack of a reply. Surely he wasn't really sulking? They reached the botany and she opened the door and motioned for him to follow. Again, he did without saying a word, which left her disappointed.

They went up and she grabbed the basket that she had prepared for him earlier. He was glad to see it wasn't Ino's garish basket that he had been forced to lug around earlier. Hmmm…. That was nice of her to change it. Should he thank her?

"Is your jaw still hurting?" She said, not looking at him directly. Heh, he smiled this time; she was looking a little unsure. Not so confident anymore eh…

He grinned back at her this time; realizing that it was a rather nice thing for her to do. She didn't really have an obligation to do it, but she still had. And she even made sure he brought it back. She wasn't all that bad, he thought. For a crazy, troublesome woman. She could be nice when she wanted to be…

And besides… flirting with her was un-troublesome sometimes. He could spare a little time out of his daily schedule for it. He didn't answer immediately, purposely pausing to make her a little more nervous, before giving her a roguish smile, "Not from the punch."

Her mouth dropped open when he said that, the implications hitting her instantaneously. She turned to stare at him, a little shocked, before breaking herself into a smile and rolling her eyes.

"Ass." She said coldly, but still smiling just the tiniest bit. "You deserved it you know…"

He shrugged, "It had to be done I supposed… Didn't want you to cry your heart out later…"

They stared at each other before Temari burst out laughing again. Again. Too many times he made her do that. He was getting too good at that. Luckily no one was around. He grinned lazily at her when she stopped, causing her to mock-glare at him. It was back again… this banter of theirs.

But it was also different. There was an underlying… something; he felt, a new sort of feeling abound. He wondered if Temari felt the same way. It was troublesome… and not so troublesome at the same time.

He turned to go back, but hesitated at the door. As she came up to him, he opened the door, and gestured for her to go first. She rolled her eyes, "Stop trying to be a gentleman… its soo fake pineapple-head."

He didn't reply, just shook his head wearily, causing her to make a face at him. Outside the botany, they stood facing each other. She pointed behind him, "Just follow that road and you'll reach the gates."

He nodded, and she was about to say something about the flowers when he cut in, "You aren't seeing me off?"

Temari's mouth dropped open. He wanted her to accompany him? "Baka…" She said, reddening a little, "Why should I?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Is it too tiring?"

She stared at him, now more than a little surprised, but trying to hide the smile that was threatening to breakthrough, "Poor crybaby… needs me to walk him all the way."

He rolled his eyes before muttering something under his breath and turning to walk. She waited for a few seconds before catching up. Once again, they walked in silence, but this time it was a comfortable one. There was no urge to break the silence, or to voice out on anything at that moment. It was just … nice. They still kept their distance; they had no reason to do otherwise. It wasn't like… well you got the general idea.

* * *

As they passed the market area, a voice called out to Temari. She stopped and turned as a guy came up to her. Shikamaru also stopped, wondering what the guy wanted. She gave him a look, to which he understood he was to turn away and give them some privacy. Shrugging, he took a few steps, but not far enough to be out of hearing distance. Just close enough to listen a little. 

She finished whatever she was saying and said her goodbyes to him, giving him quite a big smile, he thought. He raised his eyebrow inquiringly at her, but all she did was to give him a smirk.

They continued for a few more steps before she suddenly said, just loud enough for him to hear, "A friend from the academy. We're going for dinner later."

Shikamaru forced himself not to react. He shrugged; she could do whatever she wanted, it wasn't any of his business. She gave him a knowing smirk, "He's pretty good-looking isn't he?"

Eh?? Where did that come from? Oh wait….he narrowed his eyes. She was doing it on purpose, he thought, trying to get a reaction out of him so she could laugh at him later. "If you say so… It's none of my business."

She grinned outright this time; oh, there was definite reaction all right. She purposely yawned, knowing it would irritate him, "It's just that I was forced to spend so much time with this annoying cry-baby this week… so I just felt like hanging out with a real guy this time."

Two could play at that game. "Hmmm…" Shikamaru replied, giving her a skeptical look, "You didn't seem to mind the scardey-cat this morning…"

She snorted, "Oh please…I was just feeling sorry for him…"

He laughed, "Sure, sure… I can see that. But you know what else woman?"

"What?" She replied with a disdainful look at him.

He grinned, "I was lips… but you were definitely tongue!"

Temari stiffened, outraged. "You ass-" She caught herself just about to let loose a curse. She glanced around hoping no one had seen her about to lose her temper. She smiled tersely at an acquaintance, well aware that Shikamaru was smirking away.

She hissed at Shikamaru. "Asshole!" But Shikamaru only grinned, as she continued through clenched teeth. "I did not give you tongue!"

"Ohh…," He replied with an innocent look, "then I must have remembered wrongly."

She glowered at him, "You better not tell this to anyone." He gave her an insulted look. "Please…" she said, rolling her eyes. "I know how you guys like to boast."

He groaned, "Woman, we only boast about the good things we do… not the troublesome ones."

She glared at him again from the corner of her eye, which was kind of hard to do but she still managed to. "Baka. If I so much as hear about this from someone else… I'll kill you, understand?"

* * *

Hmmm… that was roughly the 8th time his life had been threatened by this family.

* * *

"Hai hai…" He replied lazily. "I won't tell anyone that Temari gave me tongue." 

She didn't reply immediately, instead waiting till they were in a slightly quieter alley before reaching over to elbow him furiously. He smiled to himself.

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she tried to calm herself down. "In your dreams Shikamaru…"

"Mmmm…" he replied non-committally irritating her even more.

"Loser." She said through gritted teeth. He didn't respond though the smile left his face.

"Ass." She said again, when he didn't respond, causing a vein on his fore-head to throb.

"Cry-baby."

"Pineapple-head."

"Freak."

"Jerk."

He tried to pick up his pace, but she kept up with him, without missing an insult.

"Drop-out."

"Lame-ass."

"Dimwi-"

Thankfully they were already quite near the gate, so she stopped then. He had just been about to start running from her. Looking around he could see the mediators by the side, talking to someone.

Finally… this was it, he supposed. Time for goodbye and it couldn't come too soon. As he was just about to speak, she turned and gave him a pointed look. Tilting her head to one side, she said nonchalantly, before he could come up with something, "You better not try to hang out around me…"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I would never do something that troublesome.' Tilting his head to match hers, he replied in the same tone "You better find a boyfriend and stop bothering me."

She gave him a sarcastic look, "Oh I will… there are loads of great guys out there."

He shrugged in reply, "Good."

She shrugged back, mockingly "Good."

They stared at each other, before Shikamaru grinned at her. Heh, this was things would always be. She stared at him impassively for a few seconds longer before returning his grin. She glanced around her carefully, before sticking her tongue out at him.

He smirked at her before nodding a silent goodbye and was about to walk away, when she suddenly stopped him.

"And oh… I just want to make one more thing clear pineapple-head…" She said, smirking.

Uh oh. He didn't like the look of that. "What?" He asked warily.

She paused, before giving him a wicked grin, "You were the one who made things troublesome…"

He opened his mouth to reply, to shoot back some smart-ass remark. But he couldn't think of a single one.

Not even one.

She was right.

Whatever happened from now on… He was the one who made things troublesome. Not her. Shikamaru turned away from her triumphant smile, hanging his head resignedly as he walked over to join the mediators.

It was going to be a long, long trip home.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Well she's not home, "said Kankuro gleefully. Gaara stared at him as he fiddled with Kuro-ari. "What are you doing?" He asked his brother.

"You didn't think that I would leave Temari alone with that kid did you?" He replied with a snort. "I had Kuro-ari watch them when we left."

"It's a doll." Said Gaara with a frown. "What help could it be?"

Kankuro glared at him as he covered Kuro-ari's ears. Or whatever looked like ears. "Watch your mouth!"

Gaara, held back a sigh as he watched his brother. "Anyway…" Kankuro continued, "I had a small mini-camera installed in him."

Gaara raised an eyebrow, to which Kankuro replied indignantly, "Don't give me that look. It's not for something pervy… It's for spying!"

Gaara's look didn't change and Kankuro turned away huffing and muttering under his breath. Pulling the small cassette loose from Kuro-ari, he popped it in his small hand-held camcorder. Both brothers leaned in as he pressed play.

"Wonder what that kid did," said Kankuro trying to make out the small screen, "Temari can really hold a grud…" He trailed away, as Gaara's eyes widened.

"_**He did what?!?!?"**_

* * *

**The End of The Troublesome Week**** Arc.**

In case, any of you were wondering, I mentioned earlier that the whole point of this arc was for one specific thing to happen. It's not the kiss as some of you might think. It's the line where Temari says, _"You were the one who just made things troublesome…"_

I know some parts have been a little childish and unbelievable, but I urge you to consider these two people and their characters as you know them. And don't expect them to start making out in the next few chapters. Temari is really very busy. And Shikamaru is just too damn lazy.

If anyone wants, I'll be happy to explain any parts of the story you don't understand if it can help you to understand the story better I guess.

It'll be hard to try and mix this with the canon chapters, but I'll try my best. So look forward to the next chapters yeah.

Thanks again for reading so far.

m.r.j


	15. In Between, Passing By, Chapter 1

You can actually consider this arc, **In-Between, Passing By** as filler. As I have mentioned earlier, this arc is simply an in between to pass the time till things get a little more serious. It may a bit confusing and most of the chapters will be a little short. I'll try to post them about one every week. I don't expect to get many reviews for them but I do hope that you'll read them.

And if anyone knows how to fix paragraph spacing for stories please let me know. The last chapter's paragraphing was awful. always squeezes up my paragraphs.

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **In-Between, Passing By.**

**Chapter 1:Dinner Alone**

"Shikamaru." A troublesome voice called.

He ignored it, focusing on the rapidly disappearing food in front of him. "Oi Chouji… slow down a little. I can't even see your hands move anymore."

"Shikamaru," came the voice again and Shikamaru continued to ignore it. He idly grabbed a piece of beef that had escaped Chouji and pretended to look at it.

Noisy… they were all so noisy. It was like being at a zoo at lunch time. He sighed as he popped the piece of beef in his mouth, ignoring the look of fury in Chouji's eyes. But Chouji had more important things to worry about, as Kiba and Akarmaru were finally getting their own. He sighed as he watched his best friend tussle for a piece of meat with Kiba as Akarmaru just basically swallowed everything down next to him.

Bigger dog, bigger appetite. The owner who had frowned when Akarmaru had entered, (he was roughly the size of a wolf now) was now foaming at the mouth watching Akarmaru chew parts of the table as well.

Putting the chopsticks down he looked over the group again, wondering what had possessed him to come along. "Shikamaru," called Asuma from the next table for what seemed like the hundredth time.

This time he answered, feeling too irritated to ignore it, "Nani?" He turned to lazily gaze at his sensei who was sitting with Ino, Hinata, Shino and Kurenai-sensei.

"Have you given any thought to what I told you?" asked Asuma patiently.

Shikamaru had to force himself not to roll his eyes like some teenage girl. He sighed and replied, "Not really…"

Asuma grinned at his student, "I hear Neji's also trying to become a Jounin as well… Why don't you give him some competition?"

Before he could open his mouth to reply, the entire group answered for him, "Too troublesome!"

He stared at them, feeling even more annoyed as they broke out laughing. That was it, this was getting too annoying. He stood up, intending to leave.

Asuma raised an eyebrow at him, "Leaving already?"

"My mum wants me to come home today… have to help out with something," lied Shikamaru with a shrug. He was actually intending to go to the park and sleep the afternoon away.

Chouji paused long enough to give him a knowing look as Ino rolled her eyes. Asuma grinned again, taking a puff before saying, "Oh well… It's just something to consider…" He smirked at Shikamaru, "You have to start being more responsible around here…"

"Responsible?" He gave Asuma a blunt look, "I'm not the one using my students' promotion as an excuse for a date."

That wiped the smirk of his face.

Kurenai-sensei turned red as Asuma nearly lost his cigarette. The girls giggled together as even Shino smiled. Asuma stammered excuses behind him as he walked out of the restaurant.

Heh, that felt good. He was in a better mood now as he walked to the park. The sun was nice and warm and he was already feeling sleepy. Mmmm… a day to be well-spent.

Just as he was about to enter the park, he spotted a familiar figure walking down the road with another Suna shinobi by her side.

She hadn't caught sight of him as she strode down the road, properly towards the Hokage office. She looked busy, he thought, wonder what she's here for… Well whatever it was, it wasn't his business. And she looked in a rush anyway…

He paused, wondering if he should call out to her.

She suddenly seemed to realize that someone was looking at her but she didn't even slow down when she caught sight of him. Just turned away to talk to her friend as she walked past him. He wasn't quite sure what to think. It had been a few weeks since Suna…

He turned back and continued on his way to his favorite spot. Thankfully there was no one there. As he lay down on the grass, he wondered briefly about Temari. Not quite what he expected, he thought as sleep slowly washed over him.

When Shikamaru finally awoke, it was already evening. He got up slowly, yawning and brushing off the grass on him. He decided to get some dinner, feeling a little hungry now. He walked down the darkened street, putting his collar up to prevent anyone from recognizing him and calling out to him. He wasn't in the mood for company really.

Which was strange. He was normally in a good mood after having a nice, long, uninterrupted nap. He pondered this as he walked into the first restaurant he saw. Looking around he blinked, trying to adjust to the bright lights. As his vision cleared, he caught sight of something that made him remember the reason for the moodiness.

She was accompanied by a couple of other Konoha shinobis this time, including Sakura. He recognized the other few from the Hokage's office. That Suna shinobi was also there by her side. He realized he was staring a little as Temari leaned over to talk to him.

He turned away, feeling irritated at himself for acting like a schoolboy. He ordered quietly, hoping to make a quick escape before any of them realized he was there.

But it was too late. As he waited for his food, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Cursing his luck, he turned around slowly to Sakura smiling at him, "I thought it was you!"

He could see the entire group looking at him now; including Temari though wood had more expression than her face. He kept his eyes on Sakura, trying to figure out how to avoid a potential troublesome situation. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, "Why don't you join us for dinner?"

His reply was to give her a blunt look before shaking his head. She grinned back at him, before leaning in to say in a low voice, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind…"

Damn it. She must have been talking to Ino… or everyone seemed to know his business. He grunted non-committaly, not really knowing what to reply, trying to mentally urge Sakura to leave him alone. Sakura assessed him for a few more seconds, before rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

She smiled a goodbye before going back to her table. He turned back to pick up his order, but not before giving the group a final discreet look. Temari was looking out the window now, though he did notice the other Suna guy giving him a curious look.

He strode out of the restaurant without another look back. He shoved his free hand into his pocket, sighing to himself at the troublesome nature of life. As he walked back home, he turned his gaze upwards to glance at the night sky which was clear tonight.

**Ok done! It may come across as a little unnecessary piece, but I think it's very important to describe the time in-between their relationship.**

**m.r.j**


	16. In Between, Passing By, Chapter 2

It'll be sometime before my next update as I will be going into camp. This is another filler. Again, many thanks to all those who bothered to read the last chapter. There's roughly going to be another 2 more fillers, before the next arc.(Sorry if some of the Japanese is wrong!!)  


Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **In-Between, Passing By.**

**Chapter 2: New Friends**

He finished his food and placed his chopsticks down, wiping his mouth as the lunch crowd continued to buzz around him. Shikamaru stretched, feeling full and contented, before sitting back and closing his eyes. Thankfully it wasn't that hot today as it had been the last few times he had been here. It helped also that the shop was located in a rather cooling part of the village.

He stayed in that position for a few more seconds before getting up slowly. He didn't really want to leave then but he knew he had to be back in his own village immediately. There was a lot of work to catch up with, especially now that the Chunin exams were over.

At least the mission had been easy enough, to just escort the ambassador here. Luckily there had been no attacks on the way, and the ambassador and his entourage were also the quiet kind, which meant that he hadn't had to deal with any conversations.

He hadn't really wanted this mission; but it was either that or stay back and hear his mum nag him for not trying out for the Jounin exam. Even his dad was on his case now. Every time they were training together, he would slip in some snide remark about working harder and taking more responsibility. Tch, troublesome.

He thanked the man at the counter as he paid and left the shop. It was slightly hotter out here, but he still didn't mind it. The food had left him in a good mood. The gates were quite near anyway so it wouldn't be too long a walk. Besides, the village was a holiday compared to the desert he'd have to cross on his way back. Immediately notwithstanding, he was going to take his time to get back home. Hopefully long after the troublesome tests were done.

He was sure that Neji wouldn't have any trouble passing. That guy was already more or less way above most of them in skill. He would probably the leader now if they ever did take part in a mission.

Not that he could really boss around the rest of them anymore. Tenten and lee, including the rookie 9 had all passed their Chunnin exams. Of course, with the exception of two people.

He kept on eye on the surroundings as he walked, slowly and leisurely. Suna wasn't all bad, he supposed. That was if one was only staying a few hours. He hadn't really gotten much of a look at daytime Suna the other time he was here.

As he walked, he nodded once or twice to a few people he recognized but didn't stop to converse. He also grinned at a genin who was gaping openly at him as he passed by. The kid was acting like he never saw a Konoha shinobi before.

He chuckled as the kid fled when realizing that Shikamaru had noticed him. It kind of reminded him of Hinata a little. Speaking of Hinata… He wondered how Naruto was doing. He was probably training hard with Jiraiya-sama, trying to get stronger so that he could save Sasuke. And he was also probably trying to figure out how to control the Nine-Tails as well.

He stopped in his tracks, looking down the road where the Genin had fled. How long ago was it that they stopped being like that? Stopped being kids? He felt a somber mood come over him slightly. Naruto had never told him directly, but he had seen enough to make a good guess. He could have confirmed it if he wanted to, by researching a little, but that would have been invading into Naruto's privacy.

And besides, it was too troublesome anyway.

He ducked under the awning of a small sundry shop nearby, to get away from the heat a while. He was already beginning to perspire even now when under the shade. Looking around, he took out his handkerchief and wiped the back of his neck and forehead. Returning his handkerchief back to his pocket, he noticed the owner and few customers smiling at him, so he smiled back politely. Heh, they were friendlier than some of their other residents… who couldn't even seem to say hello when they were in his village even.

He pursed his lips, and lifted a finger to scratch his head. That was just plain rude… Why, he reasoned, if he saw her now, he would at least have greeted her. That was the least one could do.

He sighed, realizing his thoughts had drifted to … troublesome matters.

Feeling irritated at himself, he nodded a genial goodbye before continuing on his way. As he approached the gates, he realized that it was getting more crowded. Which only made the temperature rise. This didn't exactly improve his mood. He tried to stay off the sidewalk and avoid most of the throng but it was not possible. And now there was even a wind blowing the sand into everyone's faces.

It was most definitely time to get out of here. He pushed through the crowd, feeling a little annoyed, watching them standing around, chatting happily as though it was a cool summer day and there was no sand flying all around. Pfah… he spit out some sand that had gotten into his mouth. All previous goodwill towards this village was quickly eroding away.

He grumpily handed over his papers to the guard at the gates who gave them back after a cursory check. He stared at the empty landscape in front of him, watching the air shimmer in the heat. This was not going to be a pleasant journey home. At least with the mediators he had been allowed to travel in a carriage.

He was about to set-off when he felt a slight tug on his pants. Turning around, he came face to face (ok not really face to face) with a bunch of genins, four of them to be precise, who were looking at him with a mixture of awe and fear. He raised an eyebrow, as they huddled together, 2 boys and 2 girls, standing behind one of the boys who seemed to be struggling to say something. He frowned, recognizing him as the one who had been gaping earlier.

"Ar-are y-you from K-ko-konoha?" The kid stammered. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow; normally, he didn't really like to hang around kids that much. They were usually quite noisy and troublesome. Heh, Naruto was still like that actually.

But after his stint in the Academy as an instructor, and also the fact that the kids were sort of delaying his inevitable trip into the desert, he decided it wouldn't be so troublesome to play a long a little.

He crouched to their height, causing them to whimper and huddle even closer. The leader took a step back, but still holding his hands out in front of his friends, as though protecting them. Shikamaru had to bite back a grin at that; it was kind of cute.

He decided to tease them a little, answering in a serious voice, "I am from Konoha. Who's asking?"

One of the girls made a noise, when he answered, hiding her face in her friend's shirt. The leader's eyes had widened when he had confirmed he was Konoha. He swallowed, before replying in a shaky voice, "Sh-shinta. How do we know you're telling the t-truth?"

Shikamaru had to hide a smile; he never really saw himself as someone who drove fear into the hearts of children. But the trembling kids in front of him seem to say otherwise. "Well Shinta, this is the proof," he replied, pointing to his forehead protector.

"Are you very strong?!" burst out one of the girls suddenly. Her wild blonde hair reminded Shikamaru a little of someone else. A mini-Temari… complete with the braids even. He turned and gave her a look, causing her to turn red. The other girl stepped in front of her protectively, clutching her kunai in her trembling fingers. He grinned at the sight, before replying, "I don't know... What do you think?"

That clearly confused them. Shinta took a step forward, looking hard at the forehead protector before asking again, "But isn't everyone from Konoha very strong?"

"Yeah!" cut in the other boy who was wearing a strange green bandana. "I heard that all Konoha shinobis are strong like demons!" The two girls shook their head vigorously as he continued, "I also heard that they can kill people with just one punch!"

Shikamaru chuckled, causing Green Bandana to whirl on him, "It's true!" He shouted, glaring at Shikamaru. Shikamaru shook his head, laughing "Well I'm from Konoha… and I've never heard such rumours."

They all stopped, and turned to examine him carefully. After a few minutes, a look of disappointment appeared on their faces. "He's right… He doesn't look strong at all!" said Green Bandana disappointedly, causing a sweat-drop to appear on Shikamaru's head. "Ano…" He tried to say as Shinta and Kunai-girl nodded along, causing more sweat-drops to appear on his head.

"Hey… I bet Kankuro-sensei could beat him with one punch!" said the Green Bandana excitedly. "So??" replied Shinta scornfully, "I bet Gaara-sensei doesn't even have to punch to beat him! He'll just stretch out his hand and go," Shinta paused dramatically, before adjusting his voice and spoke in a reasonable imitation of Gaara's toneless voice, "Desert Coffin!"

"But I think Temari-sensei is the best because she…" mini-Temari had hardly started when the others groaned, cutting her off. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow questioningly at Shinta. "She's Temari-sensei's No. 1 fan-girl! It's always Temari-sensei this, Temari-sensei that…" Shinta replied, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at her. She gave him an indignant look and was about to reply when Green Bandana suddenly gave a shout.

"Oh no!" He cried, causing everyone within a 5 meter radius to turn to him, "We were supposed to meet Temari-sensei 10 minutes ago!" Shinta turned pale and turned to Shikamaru, "We've got to go now! Thanks oni-san!" He turned and grabbed Kunai-girl's hand, practically dragging her off. Green Bandana followed close behind them, turning around to give Shikamaru a quick wave as he was running off.

Mini-Temari only managed to take a few steps, before falling flat on her face. Shikamaru winced, as he walked over to help her up. She was already up, wiping the sand off her arms. Luckily there were no cuts, but he could see that she was already sniffling. Crouching, he tapped her forehead lightly, "What's your name?"

She gave him a frightened look, not so brave anymore without her friends. He gave her another smile, "Oh sorry… I should identify myself first right? I'm Shikamaru. Nice to meet you."

She continued to look at him for a few more seconds before practically whispering, "I'm Aida…"She continued to brush the sand off, all the while, hanging her head low.

Shikamaru nodded, before asking dryly, "Big fan of Temari aren't you?"

She jerked her head upwards to give him a speculative look, at him, before nodding excitedly. She said eagerly, "I want to be just like Temari-sensei. She's so strong and beautiful and smart and kind and …and …"Her voice slowly died off, and she lowered her head back down. In a low voice she continued, "But I'm not cute at all … and I'm so clumsy as well…"

Realizing what she just said to a stranger practically, she clamped her hand over her mouth embarrassedly. Shikamaru chuckled, before replying, "Demo…I don't think Temari was that great either when she was your age…."

Lifting her head up, she stared at Shikamaru, "Honto?"

He nodded, "Some things you can only learn as you grow older... So don't worry if you don't have it now. It just means it'll come later…"

She continued to stare at Shikamaru, eyes wide, "You mean I can even be as beautiful as her?"

He grinned, "Of course!" She blushed and looked away. "Demo… everyone always tells me that I will never be as beautiful as Temari-sensei… They laugh at me for trying to look like her…"

Shikamaru eyed the braids, "Is that why you have your hair like hers?"

She fingered the aforementioned braids forlornly, nodding her head unhappily. He narrowed his eyebrows, wondering how to cheer the kid up. He was about to say something when a voice rang out.

"There you are Aida! Where have you b…"

* * *

Shikamaru didn't look up immediately; he didn't need to, to know whose voice it was and why it trailed off. But Aida was mortified. She tried to stammer an excuse but Temari just cut them off with a tilt of the head. Aida swallowed and began to drag herself over to her sensei. 

He suddenly then, thought of something to say. Standing up and ignoring Temari, he called out to her, "Aida…"

She stopped in her tracks, and turned around timidly. Shikamaru smiled at her, "You don't need the braids… you're already pretty cute yourself…" Cheesy, he knew, but what the hell. She was a cute kid… Heh, he was sounding more and more like Lee _and_ Gai-sensei.

Aida didn't respond, just stared at him, before breaking out into a deep blush. He was aware that Temari had also now dropped the act, and was staring at him, mouth open as well. He grinned and said to Aida, "Work hard ok?"

She blushed again, before nodding her head enthusiastically and running over to stand in front of her sensei. Temari had already got over her shock and was now back to glaring at Aida. But it only lasted a few seconds, before she also broke out into a smile and tweaked one of Aida's braids. "Hayaku!"

Smiling shyly at her sensei, Aida ran off in the direction her friends had disappeared. That left the two of them there, each trying to ignore the other. He wondered briefly why she hadn't immediately followed her student. He could see out of the corner of his eye that the smile was gone, replaced by uneasiness.

Again, he wondered just what was going on with her

But he didn't feel like playing to her moods then; in fact the desert looked a better option suddenly. He turned away, when behind him, he suddenly heard her say, softly and rather stiffly, "Ano… what are you doing here?"

He didn't answer immediately and neither did he turn around. What he had intended to do was walk off without a word, but certain words he had spoken earlier came back to him. Shrugging, he replied indifferently before walking off, "Just passing by."

Temari watched silently as Shikamaru walked off, before turning away to return to her waiting students.


	17. In Between, Passing By, Chapter 3

There'll be a few more fillers to be written. Roughly 3 more I think. And I think people are getting the wrong idea when I say that camp. In my country its compulsory to serve in the armed forces so when I say camp; I mean army camp where I won't be having fun! I won't be free to write anything for a while. SO I apologize in advance, SORRY if the updates take long!

Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **In-Between, Passing By.**

**Chapter 3: Kazekage****, Part 1**

"Kazekage??"

"Yeah," said Sakura, nodding as she sipped her drink, "He was named the new Kazekage yesterday morning."

Lee along with Ino and Kiba gaped at her. Chouji sat back, totally astounded, (but still munching on his chips). "I was surprised too," continued Sakura, "when Tsunade-sama told me this morning."

Neji snorted, "What's so surprising? He already has the abilities to be at that level."

Tenten nodded uncertainly, "True…demo Neji… it's just that… you know…"

"He's a cold-blooded monster?" finished Neji coldly.

Tenten flushed, and looked away. "Neji," said Lee disapprovingly, "It's not Tenten's fault. She wasn't with us at _that_ battle."

Tenten rubbed her head, giving Neji an apologetic look. Ino cut in quickly, "Ne Sakura what does Tsunade-sama think about it? Did you get any vibes of her?"

Sakura shook her head, "Not really. But from what Shizune ne–san told me they were a little surprised."

"And who could blame them?" snorted Kiba. "Kage is a pretty high responsibility job... Who would have expected that they would give it to him?"

"Actually," said Ino gleefully, "There's someone who might have known!" She grinned, pointing out the window towards a certain shinobi who was ambling by.

It took both Sakura and Ino's combined efforts to drag him in, grumbling and protesting all the way. Shikamaru looked the table over and sat down reluctantly, sighing as he noted the evil smiles coming from Ino, Sakura and Kiba. Chouji grinned at him, confirming that something troublesome was going to happen. He let loose a louder sigh, rubbing his arm where Ino had dug her nails.

Kiba leaned towards him giving him a sly grin, "So Shikamaru… You heard the news right?"

Before Shikamaru could say anything, Ino scoffed, "What are you talking about…? He probably knew long before we did!"

He gave them a blank stare, wondering what nonsense they were coming up with now. "What are you talking about?"

Sakura poked him in the ribs. "You don't have to play dumb with us… We're talking about your girlfriend's brother being promoted to Kazekage!"

Girlfriend? When did he get a girlfriend? And what were they talking about Kazeka-

Oh.

That 'girlfriend'.

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He shrugged nonchalantly. "Is that so?"

"Don't try to act cool." Ino snorted at him. "Surely your Temari_-chan_ must have told you about it right?"

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head, wondering how he was going to get out of this. "Why on earth would she tell me?" He drawled languidly, hoping that the lazy act would throw them off a little. They were hitting a little too close to the truth.

"Eh…" Sakura said teasingly, "I would have thought she would have informed her _boyfriend_..."

He thanked the shinobi gods that he didn't start when the Big & Ugly-Forehead said that. He gave them another blank stare, trying not to show his thoughts out loud.

"Don't spread rumors." He replied tonelessly, which caused the others to laugh. "You know," said Ino, winking conspiratorially at Sakura, "If a guy denies it that strongly, it must be true!"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her, knowing that they would just use it against him. In fact, no matter what he said, they were just going to use it against him. Pfeh… such childish brats.

"Oi Shikamaru…" said Kiba, interrupting his thoughts. "You never did tell us what happened when you went to Suna for so long…" He grinned, poking Shikamaru in the ribs excitedly. "Did you and Temari 'catch-up'?"

Sakura jumped in, "That's right! Ino told me you practically begged her to let you bring the flowers to Suna… What was so important that you had to do there?"

Chouji hid a smile watching Shikamaru almost lose his temper then. The shadow-user couldn't stop himself from turning to Ino and giving her a cold stare, to which her reaction was simply to give him an innocent look back.

"You're so dumb Sakura…" said Ino matter-of-factly, trying not to grin, "Why else would our resident lazy-bum push himself all the way to a desert for?"

"Of course!" shouted Lee, standing and giving him a thumbs-up. "He went to see his girlfriend!" Lee raised a hand in salute, before giving him another thumbs-up, "The hot-bloodedness of young love!"

The vein in his head began to tick. Shikamaru had to force himself not to rub his temples as people from the nearby tables turned to look at them when Lee had started shouting.

"Oi!" Sakura again, poking him in the ribs again. "What happened in Suna?"

"Nothing!" he replied, irritated. Sakura was taken aback a little by the reaction, but recovered quickly to replace the surprise with the look of someone who had some juicy information. She turned away to face the rest of the table before saying, "Did you know… the mediator in-charge came back complaining to Tsunade-sama that Shikamaru had black rings under his eyes and he constantly fell asleep during the meetings." She turned back to him, grinning slyly. "What on earth were you doing in the nights?"

He dimly registered Kiba mouthing 'Temari' to Lee and Neji as he pondered to himself on the situation. How could he get himself out of this situation? The problem was that there were many people that had seen the two of them together in Suna. If these idiots in front of him ever got smart enough to investigate, he would never hear the end of it, not to mention what would happen to his face when Temari got wind of this 'girlfriend' thing.

He wondered if he should just tell them some of the truth, rather than having them come up with even more outrageous lies. Truthfully, he had known about Gaara but he couldn't exactly say that because it would just give them more ammo. Because, he considered, the situation in which that issue had been discussed had not been one of … errr…

Hmm… what did one call that situation? Alone, in the moonlight, in a private place. Heh, he grinned to himself, if you threw in a little food you might have even called it a dat-

Oh. Wait a minute. That was the first time that idea had appeared in his mind. And just how many da- err, meetings did he have with Temari?

A slap on his arm interrupted his thoughts. He realized everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to reply. Ino punched him on the arm again, "You did meet up with Temari at least right?? What happened??"

Kiba leaned in eagerly as did Lee, his eyes opened wide and notebook open, ready to take notes. Shikamaru fidgeted, adjusting his collar uncomfortably realizing to his chagrin, that even the usually morose Neji who had been appearing to ignore most of the conversation was also leaning in slightly, to try and catch what he was saying.

They were all grinning at him expectantly… with the exception of Tenten, who had continued to stare out the window quietly.

He forced a nonchalant shrug, "I just gave her the troublesome flowers... That's all."

"Ah huh," said Ino nodding unbelievingly, "And why didn't you give them to ()()()"

Damn her, thought Shikamaru. He had forgotten all about ()()(). He cleared his throat, "She wasn't free."

For some reason, that answer caused Ino to burst out laughing. Even the others stared at her, unsure of what the joke was. Feeling like he had just made a huge mistake, he tried to get up, only to be forced back down by Kiba and Lee.

"Come on Shikamaru! Spill the beans!" said Kiba unrelentingly. "That can't be all! You guys were all over each other back then!"

Shikamaru pulled Kiba's hand of his jacket with some difficulty, trying not to get irritated. "It's not fair that you're the first to get such a hot girlfriend!" continued Kiba resentfully.

"For the last time, she is not my girlfriend." Shikamaru said, more forcefully this time. "She wouldn't even give me the time of day if our lives depended on it." He continued to the unbelieving audience.

"Uh huh…" nodded Kiba, "So how far have you gotten with her?"

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Tick.

Tick.

The vein on his forehead continued to swell.

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He decided then that he was no longer going to answer anything. He would just keep his mouth shut till they got bored and decided to leave. As the others continued to discuss the various rumors they heard (mostly from Ino), Shikamaru did pause to wonder about the topic they had all been discussing. (Although Kiba continued to pester him, asking him for details.)

So Gaara was Kazekage… which meant that she had succeeded. Good for her, he supposed. Was that the reason for her sudden aloofness? He exhaled, realizing that he was getting sort of desperate to be looking for any excuse to explain her behavior. But still…

"What?!!"

Shikamaru groaned, knowing that Ino had probably just spilled something else. "Whatever," Shikamaru said tiredly, "she says, it's not tr-"

"She stayed over at your parents place with you!! Alone!?!"

Shikamaru couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, or continue his sentence. Slowly, he began to sink lower and lower into his seat as he fumbled for an answer.

"Her brother was missing." He mumbled into the table, not wanting to face his judges and jury.

Kiba gasped and clasped his hands together, "Of course! What a brilliant plan!"

Lee whirled on him, "Eh? What do you mean Kiba-kun?"

Kiba gave Shikamaru a look of respect before answering, "So that's how he won her heart! By comforting her when she was sad…"

Lee scribbled furiously in his notebook, while Shikamaru groaned. Things were spiraling out of control. Sakura nodded at Kiba, "All the girls at the office were so impressed when he did that." She turned to Shikamaru, laughter glinting in her eyes, "Most of them never thought that a lazy-bum like you could be so sweet."

His face was burning, he knew. Things were completely out of control now. Any minute now, looking at the evil look on Ino's face, who was enjoying this immensely, she was about to bring up something else.

"Shikamaru."

He turned to Neji who was looking at him oddly. Neji continued to consider him carefully, saying, "Why didn't you bring her back to your place?" He narrowed his eyebrows, "Wouldn't it have been more private?"

_Et tu, Neji?_

He stared back at Neji impassively as Ino grinned evily. "That's not all," she said slyly, "She also gave him a KISS… on the cheek." Somehow she managed to say that last part as softly as possible, meaning that most of the nincompoops around the table only focused on the most important word: 'KISS'.

He closed his eyes, exhaling like a condemned man. Lee stammered next to him, "W-w-wow…" Kiba was likewise in a similar state of envy and jealousy while Ino and Sakura grinned away.

"Shikamaru-kun!"

His eyes shot open. Shizune-san was at the door, calling for him. A meeting with the Godaime… Thank the shinobi gods. With a sigh of relief he walked towards the door and freedom, trying his best to ignore all the rumor-mongering that was going to continue on behind his back.

Really… they were all making a fuss over nothing. Including himself. He sighed as he walked with Shizune, lost in his thoughts, not even bothering to hear her explain what the meeting was about.

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Back at the restaurant, Lee was going over his notebook, wondering which of Shikamaru's moves he could use on Sakura-chan. "You know," said Kiba wistfully, "He's really lucky. An older girlfriend will definitely know how to take care of you! Am I right?" He winked at Tenten who finally burst out laughing.

Without even bothering to turn to him, both Ino and Sakura mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear, "In your dreams, Kiba…" causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"Hmm…" said Chouji thoughtfully, when the laughter died down. "Wonder what Naruto will do when he finds out that Gaara beat him to be a Kage?"

They all stared at Chouji before bursting out laughing again.

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Another quick filler done! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I promise things will start to get a move on …. (Sometime in the near future I hope)


	18. In Between, Passing By, Chapter 4

Thank for your kind reviews so far especially the ones who have been continually reviewing. You have been great encouragement. This is the second part of Kazekage and it's about what's going on in Suna and the Sand siblings. Rather a short filler before I leave. And sorry about the ()()() it was supposed to be the name of the other person that Shikamaru was supposed to pass the flowers to.

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Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **In-Between, Passing By.**

**Chapter 4: Kazekage, Part 2**

"For the last time, wash your face!"

"And for the last time, NO!"

Gaara stared out the window of his soon-to-be office, gazing down at his village. His village. He could call it that now. He sat up in his chair a little, wondering if there were any people that were going to come for his coronation.

Kazekage…

A loud crash behind him interrupted his thoughts, but he didn't get angry. He turned the chair around to look at his two siblings who seemed to be oblivious to him.

"This is my war paint; it's a part of my shinobi costume!" Kankuro snarled at Temari.

"Its make-up," Temari sneered back at him, "and you're not going to wear it at Gaara's coronation!"

Kankuro gestured to Gaara angrily, "He doesn't care, why should you!?"

Temari huffed back, just as angrily, "Because we should _try _to look presentable! Not like some crazed idiots!"

Kankuro sucked in a breath, "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Temari strode up and grabbed the front of Kankuro's shirt, "Is hoping that you would try to look half-way decent on our brother's coronation as _Kazekage_ too much?" She snarled, letting go of his shirt and shoving him back.

He glared at her as Gaara looked on. The two of them were always doing this… it no longer bothered him nowadays. Back then, he would have sent a few grains of sand towards their direction causing them to stop in their tracks and retreat back to their rooms. But now… now he enjoyed watching them bicker.

It made them look just a little more like family.

He smiled a rare smile that neither sibling caught. They were too busy staring down each other. But he knew that any minute now, Kankuro would scowl and do exactly what Temari said. That was how their arguments frequently went. It was either that or Kankuro would nurse a shiner and do exactly what Temari said.

He coughed slightly to get their attention; this was taking a little too long. His brother and sister turned to him, still full of fire. After a few seconds, Kankuro looked away and mumbled something under his breath.

Temari stared hard at him, "What was that?!"

He sneered back at her as he left the office to find a bathroom. She glared at his back, resisting the urge to throw something at him. She turned back to Gaara who was regarding her calmly. Temari wanted to smile at him but couldn't bring herself to. She started fussing over him, adjusting his shirt while he just continued to look at her.

He knew who it was who he had to thank for this. But he didn't know how to say it. His sister was always so fierce (well not to him exactly) and she always had a tendency to pound Kankuro when she got embarrassed. It wasn't that he was afraid of getting pounded… but he just didn't know how to tell her thanks.

It was so much easier to deal with his brother; he would just grin back at him and make some lame joke. But Temari was different and… he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but every time he looked at her today, she looked away, guiltily, he had the impression.

After adjusting his collar, she turned abruptly to look out the window, still not saying anything to him. He stared at her back curiously, wondering what was wrong with her.

The door opened as Kankuro walked in, bereft of said war paint. Temari gave him a pleased smile but he just scowled back at her. Walking over to the couch, he threw himself down on the chair, obviously still irritated with his sister.

Temari just shook her head and opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the door opening again. This time, it was someone of far greater importance; one of the advisors of Suna.

"They are ready for you Gaara-kun." She said calmly, looking very carefully at Gaara who nodded. "But before you go… I have been told to discuss something with… all of you."

Kankuro sat up in the chair properly as Temari took a seat next to him. Gaara sat where he was, giving her his normal look. She looked them over, her face expressionless.

"After this day… do you understand the responsibilities of your station?" She asked looking at Gaara, still expressionless. He nodded again, still un-willing to open his mouth. "It means that you can no longer act as mere shinobi… no more wandering off, no more doing what you want without thinking of the consequences." This was aimed not just at the soon-to-be Kazekage but at the two sitting next to him.

Kankuro just rolled his eyes but Temari didn't respond at all. She sat ramrod-straight in her seat, reaching a hand out to take her fan which was on the table. Kankuro raised an eyebrow and shot a look at Gaara.

"This position that you hold makes you a representative of Suna… that includes the two of you as well." She continued turning to face the two in mention. "That means your conduct must… improve." Kankuro openly rolled his eyes again, and again, Temari didn't look up, just continued to finger the designs on her fan.

"No more unnecessary fights. No more tantrums. … No more behaving like hooligans and no more gallivanting about with… strangers from other villages." She spoke, a stern note entering her voice. "You are brother and sister to the Kazekage and your actions represent… him as well." Kankuro stared hard at her. She stared back at him, her face cold. "That goes for your conduct on any missions that you take on as well."

Kankuro scoffed, "Anything else?" This was beginning to sound too much like a threat.

She shook her head, giving Temari one last look, before walking out the room. Kankuro waited for her to leave, before standing up in a huff, knocking back his chair. "Can you believe the nerve of those people?" He asked angrily, staring at the door. Turning to stand in front of Gaara, he continued, "Just because we're _kids…_"

"We're goddamned Jounins, my brother's the Kazekage and they still dare to talk to me like I'm some snot –nosed brat?!" He snarled, grabbing the fallen chair and righting it. He turned to say something else, but realized that Gaara wasn't listening. Following Gaara's gaze, he look at his sister, who still hadn't looked up. He bent to wave a hand in her face, "Hello! Suna to Temari!"

She blinked and slapped his hand irritatedly away, "What?!"

"What yourself," he replied crossly, rubbing his hand, "just what the hell is wrong with you?!"

She looked around, a slight look of confusion entering her features. "What… what are you blabbering about?"

He exchanged a look with his brother, "We just got threatened, and you didn't even say _anything_!?"

She stood up, jabbing her finger into his chest. "It wasn't a threat numbskull… it was just a…a … set of rules to follow!"

Kankuro gaped at her, "Ok who the hell are you?? The Temari I know would have-"

Temari sighed, cutting him off, "Don't be so troublesome you dumbass. We all had to make some sacrifices if we wante-"

"What?"

Temari shut her mouth quickly realizing that she had said too much. Gaara stood up and walked to stand in front of his sister, "What sacrifices?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Temari tried to brush it off, tried to laugh but it died off when she saw her brothers were not buying it.

Feeling flustered, she pushed through them, still trying to change the subject, "Ahh… don't be so serious you two. Anyway we have to go now don't we?" She said, walking towards the door.

"Temari." She stopped hearing Gaara call her name, but refused to turn around to face her brothers. "What's going on?"

Kankuro was starting to get a little confused. His sister was acting completely unlike herself. "Don't be silly," she laughed nervously, turning around halfway, "there's nothing going on. Now hurry up… you don't want to be late for your own coronation right?" She said as she turned to walk out the door. A little too quickly, Kankuro thought.

He turned to look at his brother who had a thoughtful expression on his face, "What do you think?"

Gaara shrugged, "She's hiding something that's obvious."

Kankuro nodded, "Did you get the part about the 'gallivanting with strangers from other villages'?"

Gaara nodded back, "Nothing we can do now. She's not going to tell us anything," he shrugged, "Whatever it is… we'll deal with it in time." He dusted off his shirt one more time, before walking out the room.

Kankuro grabbed his scrolls as he followed his brother out. As they left the room he grumbled in a low voice, "And did you hear her calling me _troublesome_?"

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8

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Thanks again to the kind reviewers who are such a great encouragement for me to write! One more filler is on the way but it'll be a little far away I think : ( 


	19. In Between, Passing By, Chapter 5

Ok as some of you know, I am currently doing my national service so my sister is helping me upload the fillers I wrote before leaving. I decided to combine them both so as to make it a little longer. I told her to update in a few days, so it's up to her when they come out. And someone has informed me that that there is no female advisor for Suna. So let's just say that I invented her for the story. Again, many thanks to the faithful reviewers who bother to read and review. I am also open to any new suggestions that anyone thinks can improve the story so I would be delighted to hear your thoughts.

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Shikamaru's Greatest Plan: **In-Between, Passing By.**

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**  
Chapter 5: ****In-Charge and Family Issues**

**Suna**

**Kazekage's Office**

"Do you know why I have called you today?"

Temari nodded in reply to her broth- the Kazekage. She had to bite back a smile looking at him. He looked so official, sitting in the seat. It was kind of cute, she thought, holding back a giggle. Her little brother was all grown up now…

Some of her thoughts must have been showing on her face as the Kazekage frowned at her. Swallowing whatever was on her face, she adopted a more suitable graver look. The frown disappeared to be replaced by his usual look of indifference. He pointed to a folder on his desk, "As you know, you were chosen to be the liaison for the first Chunnin exam this year at Konoha."

She nodded again; she already knew that she was the most likely choice when Baki had informed her of the nomination. She never imagined herself as being diplomatic, but evidently that was a sort of duty that a princess had to play. The council of Suna advisors had been adamant at that. She balked at first, but had swallowed her tongue later. It was a small price to pay for such benefits.

She looked at her brother again, pride swelling in her heart.

Anyway being a representative was pretty easy; she could always push the paperwork on someone else. All she really had to do was play nice with the big shots when in the other villages. The only real issue that was bugging her with this job with the place it was to be held. More specifically, the possible, likely representative of that place. It would be quite troubleso- _Damn it!_ Temari cursed._ Not again!_

She sighed to herself. Difficult. It would be quite difficult if it was that guy in-charge. She picked up the folder on the desk. It was just some of the general details but she didn't see what she wanted. Clearing her throat, she asked "Anyway… who is my liaison in Konoha?"

Her brother gave her a look, which she shrugged off. "Just asking…"She said, rolling her eyes. Gaara stared at her, before replying, "It's a Chunnin named Nishiwaki. He'll meet you at the gates of Konoha."

Temari nodded quickly, unsure if she was pleased or not. She was getting paranoid or something. There were many shinobis in Konoha. Why was she so worried that he might be involved? Silly… Even if he was…

_Oh forget it_, she told herself. So he wasn't going to be the main liaison. _Big deal. Or whatever_, she thought uncomfortably, pretending to look through the folder to hide her thoughts from her brother.

Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up, "Is there anything else Kazekage-sama?" Gaara shook his head, nodding to his assistant on the couch. Temari stood up, and held the door open as the assistant left to call in the next appointment. As she was about to leave, she paused at the doorway, "Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara glanced up from a folder he was looking through. Temari looked around surreptitiously before giving him a smile and saying, "Don't forget to get your own dinner tonight."

Gaara nodded, just the slightest hint of a smile on his face as his sister left the room.

Temari looked through the folder again, wondering who was going along with her to Konoha. Ah… Seima was also going with her as an assistant. Hmm… he didn't tell her that but that was good, now at least she had a friend to talk with.

As she walked down the stairs, her thoughts kept going back to the new Kazekage. She grinned to herself; she couldn't explain it but he looked as though he was meant to be there. There was just a sense of rightness as she looked at him, calmly sitting there so Kazekage-like.

And thank god they decided to change the Kazekage's office, or Gaara would have been stuck using the late Kazekage's rooms. Which wasn't very pleasant for anyone.

She had never been allowed into his presence much… but the few times she had been there, she had found the place unbearably stuffy and suffocating. Also… that place only held bad memories for the Sabakuno household.

Temari sighed, shaking her head to clear her suddenly gloomy thoughts. She hated to think about the past… especially the late Kazekage. She shouldn't bother worrying about unnecessary things. What she should focus on was the future. Her brother was doing well, even if had only been a few days.

This was the first step in fixing the mistakes they had all made in the past. There had been a sizeable crowd at his coronation, but not everyone had been there. Some people still had their doubts she supposed. But in time, they would come to respect Gaara. Of that she was sure. In time, they would see what kind of person he really was. Then he would be able to take the next step on his own and then she could stop worrying about her brothers…

"Anyway I told Karasu that…" A familiar voice drifted to her ears as she stepped onto the ground floor.

She groaned and held a hand to her head to hide her face as she watched Kankuro trying to hit on a kunoichi who was nervously trying to get away from both him and Karasu. It was almost physically painful, as she watched him try to flirt and strike out. The girl made some excuse before sprinting away as fast as possible, leaving Kankuro to wave cheerfully after her, not even realizing that he'd been blown off.

Temari sighed to herself, wondering if this brother was ever going to be ok on his own.

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**Konoha**

**Hokage's Office**

"Ok let's start the meeting. Unfortunately Anko and Ibiki are involved in an extremely important mission so they can't be here today." Said the Godaime casually to the Chunnin before her who yawned back at her.

"What does that have to do with me?" muttered Shikamaru, grumbling under his breath. Sakura gave him an exasperated look, before turning her attention back to the Godaime and Shizune. They shared a quick grin between themselves that Shikamaru spotted, worsening his mood. Muttering about how troublesome women were, he got up from his seat, and walked over to the window to look out of it.

Shikamaru was well-aware why he was brought here. He was well-aware of the deceptive, devious nature of women. Especially of this woman. This so-called Godaime Hokage. A deceiver amongst deceivers. And that Sakura was learning very well from her. Luring him here, with the promise of an easy C-rank mission.

And him, falling for it.

"Anyway," said Tsunade with an evil smile, "we have yet to agree on who is going to take charge of the first Chunin exam this year." She shuffled some papers on her desk, unceremoniously dumping the more important ones on the floor as Shizune sighed to herself. "I'll need someone who has had plenty of experience, and smarts, and can handle a group of noisy Genins." She grinned conspiratorially at her two assistants.

But it looked like he didn't have any way to get out of it this time.

Was that to be his future? Teaching? Exams? He sighed as he stared out the window watching the clouds glide by in the blue sky, totally carefree.

"Shikamaru?" said the Godaime. "What do you think? Do you have any suggesti-"

"Whatever," he cut in, sighing resignedly, "Let me know when I have to start."

"Eh, "said Sakura, blinking, trying to appear surprised, "Are you sur-"

He turned away from the window to give her a withering look. She swallowed her words, and turned back to Tsunade-sama and Shizune, who were trying to hide their smiles. "Well…," said Tsunade nonchalantly, "If you want… I'll try to see what I can do. But I can't promise anything as you kn…"

He didn't hear the rest of the words as he stalked out of the office, rolling his eyes at the troublesome nature of the world. Especially women.

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**Suna**

**Sabakuno Household**

She ground her teeth as Kankuro slammed the front door on his way out. No matter how many times she told him, he just couldn't seem to get it into his head. Shaking her head, she grabbed her bag of toiletries and threw it into her bag. Was that the last thing? Let's see… she rummaged through her cupboard to see if she had forgotten anything. Wait a minute, where was her cleaning tools for her fan? She walked over to her desk and started opening drawers.

She blew a wisp of hair out of her face as she sat on the bed, trying to remember the last place she had seen it. She was sure she had left it on her dressing table. That meant that someone must have taken it… And that only meant one person. Irritated, she stalked over to Kankuro's room and kicked the door open. As expected, she spotted her cleaning supplies on his work-table.

Cursing under her breath, she side-stepped around some of his dolls' parts on the floor and grabbed her supplies. She was about to leave when her eyes suddenly spotted her name on something else. A tiny little cassette tape by the small table beside his bed. Hmm… what was that? She kicked a doll arm out of her way as she walked over to the table. What the hell was this; she wondered picking up the cassette.

Now Temari had always told her brothers to respect each others privacy and not take things that belong to them. But in this case… well he had taken her supplies first. And this tape _did_ have her name on it…

So she had the right to take it.

Satisfied by her reasoning, she kicked another…something… out of her path as she left the room, slamming the door. She threw the supplies in her bag and zipped it up. There was a camcorder in the living room if she remembered correctly. She grabbed her bag and skipped down the stairs, looking out the window as she walked to the couch. Seima was supposed to meet her a few minutes ago, but she reckoned she had enough time. She threw her bag on the table next to her fan, looking around for the camcorder. Ah… there it was.

Grabbing the camcorder, she shoved the tape in and settled back on the couch to watch what was on it.

* * *

**Suna**

**Outside the Sabakuno Household**

Seima hurried his pace a little. He was supposed to meet Temari a few minutes ago, and she would scold him if he was late. As he reached the gate, he suddenly heard an ear-splitting scream. He dropped his bag and sprinted to the door before throwing it open.

* * *

**Suna**

**Sabakuno Household**

Seima stared at Temari who was on the couch, holding what looked like a camcorder. Her face was red as she stared at the screen. She didn't look like she was in any danger, but she was so absorbed that she hadn't even looked up when he stormed in. He called out to her, "Temari?"

She turned quickly, her face blushing wildly. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Temari put her hands behind her, hiding the camcorder. "Eh," she laughed nervously and unnaturally, "you're here Seima?"

He looked at her with a confused gaze. "Are you ok? I heard a scream…"

She shook her head agitatedly, her face still red. "Ah… it was nothing. I was just a little surprised by… something… that's all."

He raised an eyebrow, "By the video?"

She nearly fell down the couch when he said that. Standing up unsteadily, she gave him another peculiar laugh, "Ah ha ha…don't be silly. I said it was nothing…" She slowly inched towards the stairs, still hiding the camcorder behind her.

Temari swallowed nervously, looking up the stairs. "Why don't I go get my bag before we go?"

Seima gave her a confused look, "Isn't that your bag on the table?"

She froze, before again laughing awkwardly, "Oh yeah… ah aha …I forgot. But I think I still forgot something else." She turned and sprinted up the stairs to her room. Seima stared at her, nonplussed and wondering what was going on.

Temari reached her room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against the door, panting from exertion and the earlier shock to her system. Kankuro that asshole! He had taped that… that … scene with Shikamaru! She didn't know how he did it but she had never felt so embarrassed in her life! And it had felt even more embarrassing, looking at it from a third-person's point of view.

Had she really been so…so _girly_?!

Temari slowly sank to the floor clutching the camcorder to her chest. If anyone ever saw this tape… She could feel the blood pulsing in her face as she gripped the camcorder tighter. She pulled the tape out of the camcorder, and stood up.

She had to hide it now. She opened her cupboard, and pushed her clothes aside. She threw the tiny, little tape into the darkest corner of her cupboard. She would get rid of it when she got back. No one could ever see it… No one.

Temari tried to adjust her hair and smoothed her blouse, looking herself over in the mirror. She took several deep breaths as she walked down the stairs, trying to calm herself down, hoping the blood was leaving her face. Reaching the living room, she walked towards the table and picked up her fan and her bag. Slinging her fan on her back, she walked over to a still-confused Seima, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Shall we go?" She asked wondering how she could punish her brother.

* * *

**Konoha**

**Nara Family Home**

"Where did you leave it?" said Yoshino, not looking up from the wok. Shikamaru sighed, "If I knew where I left it, I wouldn't need to ask you."

Yoshino turned around to glare at her son, "You're a big boy. Find it yourself."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Ah… come on mom..."

"So now its 'mom'?!" Yoshino turned around and rapped her son on the head with the wooden spoon she was using to stir the food. "I thought it was the 'troublesome woman'??"

Shikamaru winced as he tried to pick a piece of vegetable that had fallen on his head. Ok… what was he supposed to do now? "You're the only who cleans my room…" He mumbled behind her.

She turned around again, exasperatedly, "You're living in your own apartment and I still have to clean up for you! Lazy-bum!"

He was about to say that no one asked her to, but he wisely held his tongue. Holding back his own irritation, he said "I looked everywhere already and I still couldn't find it… Did you happen to see it?"

She glowered at him, forcing him to look away. Shaking her head, she turned back to her cooking. Shikamaru sighed; he knew his mom had taken the jacket to clean and was purposely not telling him where it was now. But if he scolded her for that, then she would never do his laundry again. And that would be troublesome. So he held his tongue.

He was about to leave the kitchen when she said crossly, "It's in your old room." He grinned; she could still be so soft. He walked up the stairs to his old room as his dad came home. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his dad so he double-timed his steps.

Opening the room, he found it slight dusty. His parents hadn't really done anything with the room since he left. He opened the cupboard and took out his jacket, and a couple of his shirts along with a few of his pants that had been in his laundry basket in his apartment. Ok… laundry done!

He grabbed a sling pack and chucked the clothes inside it. Going down the stairs, he could hear his dad talking to his mum. It would be better if he was able to sneak past both of them now and avoid any troublesome conversations. He walked down stealthily, but didn't even reach the door as his mother came out of the kitchen with his dad in tow.

"So they put you in-charge of the Chunnin exams?" his mom asked.

He sighed again as he gave his dad a look. He nodded to his mom as she shook her head. "I can't believe that they would trust a mere _Chunnin_ to do it. And the laziest one in Konoha as well!" She said sarcastically as he hung his head.

He knew that was coming; that jab about the Chunnin thing. She kept bringing it up constantly ever since the he hadn't taken the Jounin exams. "Don't go slacking off," she continued as his dad continued to smirk away, "this is your responsibility you hear me- Don't roll your eyes!!"

He sighed to himself as his mother continued to chastise him. Any minute now he knew he was going to yawn and that would definitely set his mother off even more.

He forced himself to nod as she continued to insult him. When finally he sensed she was about to take a breath, he said, "Ok, I have a meeting to attend to!"

He was about to make a dash for it when his mother called out to him again. Groaning he turned around, to see her holding out a hair band. She said, "This isn't your is it?"

Shikamaru gave it a quick, cursory look. "Nah… not mine. Probably dad's."

"It's not mine either…" His father shook his head, still smirking about something. "It looks like its some girl's…"

His mother nodded, "And we found it while we were dusting that old room of yours some time ago. I forgot about it till yesterday."

Shikamaru gulped.

There was only one girl that had been in that room; his dad smirked behind his mom, who was waiting for him to say something. "Err… I think it belongs to that girl from Suna…" He mumbled.

His mum raised her eyebrows dangerously, "What girl… and from where!?"

He knew he should have told them long ago, but he figured that there was no need to. Heck, no harm, no foul right? Except his mom looked like she was about to do some harm to him right now.

He took a step back as she advanced towards him, "You brought a girl over here?! To this room?!"

He took another step back as he tried to explain hastily. He managed to get out a few sentences before his mum smacked him hard on the shoulder. "You could have at least told us! This is our house do you remember?!"

Shikamaru winced as she started again. He tried to cut in with another explanation but she wouldn't be stopped. Finally she said, with a sigh "It's a good thing your dad told me what happened! Bringing girls home at your age..."

Wait a minute. His dad told her? He glared at his dad who smirked back at him. "It was a pretty nice thing that you did though…" Yoshino said, giving her son a grudging smile. "Who is this girl anyway? Your girlfriend?"

* * *

**Suna**

**Suna's Gates**

Temari sneezed.

* * *

**Konoha**

**Nara Family Home**

He started when she said that. They were both grinning so he knew she was kidding. He replied grumpily, "Just some troublesome girl…"

His mother exchanged an amused look with his dad, "Troublesome? She must be pretty special if you went out of your way to be so nice to her…" He felt himself about to blush as his mother look at him questioningly

He muttered to the floor, "The Godaime made me do it… That's all…." His parents continued to look at him amusedly, before his mum shook her head again. "I thought so… I doubt that there's actually a girl out there that would actually be interested in my lazy son…"

* * *

**Suna**

**Suna's Gates**

Temari sneezed again.

* * *

**Konoha**

**Nara Family Home**

He stared grouchily at them; he hated it when they tried to tease him about girls. "Is there anything else?" He asked crossly. His mom rolled her eyes before going back into the kitchen. His dad smirked at him again, before helping him open the door. He refused to look at his dad as he grabbed the bag

"Oi… Shikamaru…"

"What?" He replied grumpily, pausing at the doorway.

"Nothing much." Yoshiko grinned, "Just don't wait till we find out next time…"

Shikamaru didn't bother to respond. He sighed irritatedly as he left the house. Troublesome people… Sometimes he couldn't believe he was related to that troublesome duo.

* * *

**Suna**

**Suna's Gates**

Temari wiped her nose, wondering if she was catching a cold. She was about to step into the carriage when she heard a voice calling out her name behind her. Turning around, she realized that it was one of her students, Aida in fact. She got down from the step, wondering what was wrong.

Aida stopped in front of her, breathless from running. Temari gave her a questioning look, "What's wrong Aida?"

"N-no…" Aida struggled to catch her breath, "I just wanted to say g-goodbye to you…"

Temari clucked her tongue and grinned at her; she really was a cute kid. Temari kneeled down and patted her on the head, "I'll be back soon … so work hard till I do ok?" Aida blushed and nodded her head happily. Temari sighed as she reached out to smooth Aida's wild hair which was no longer in imitation of her own braids now. She really had taken that guy's advice…

Aida who was struggling to say something else suddenly burst out said, "Ano, Temari-sensei…"

"What is it Aida?" She replied distractedly, wondering if a hair band was the answer for this pretty unmanageable hair.

"You're going to Konoha right…" She said in a low voice. "That's right Aida." Temari replied without looking down. "Why?"

"If you see… if you …see S-shik-shikamaru-sempai…" Her voice died off as she lost her nerve.

Temari stopped what she was doing as she raised an eyebrow, surprised, "If I see him?"

Aida continued stammering, "C-ca-can you tell him that I-i said h-hi?"

Temari stared at Aida, who was blushing a deep red, before breaking out into a smile. Heck, she knew what a crush was, she had her own share. But crushing on that guy… Sighing, she patted Aida on the head again, "Ok… If I see him, I'll tell him you said hi."

Aida looked up at her sensei, still blushing, "Really? She asked shyly.

Temari stood up and grinned at her, "Promise."

Aida blushed again, before turning and waving as she ran off. Temari waved back before getting into the carriage. Seima gave her a curious glance, "What was that about? Say hi to who?"

Temari rolled her eyes at him, "Don't be a busybody." Settling down into her seat, she grabbed a scroll, wondering why on earth she had made such a promise when she didn't even want to meet up with that guy.

She bit her lip as the carriage started to move. She just wanted this thing to carry on without any troublesome thing happening so she could then come back and pound that idiot of a brother of hers. Sighing, she looked out the window, knowing the advisors wouldn't be happy if she didn't do as she promis-

_Damnit! _

She cursed to herself.

She said that stupid word again!

* * *

Finally, the end of the fillers! Man it's taken some time till I could get them over with. Now its time for the next arc, which I have yet to come up with a name for. :) So till then, thanks for all the reviews!


	20. The Untroublesome Week, Chapter 1

**4 years... I have a lot to answer for all those kind people who have still continued to read and review this fic. I am not back totally, but i am finally at a stage that i can spend sometime writing once again. My writing style has changed but i hope that you will still enjoy this fic!**

**Again, to those that bothered to review, i am sorry for the delay. The chapters may not come so fast but they will definitely come out. **

* * *

The Story of Shikamaru's Greatest Plan

An Un-troublesome Woman

Chapter 1

Only royalty travelled by carriage. Lords and kings and the sort

* * *

You know the type… Those who sat pampered by life and soft cushions.

Those who didn't know what sweat or grit meant.

* * *

Ninjas do not travel in carriages.

They dash through the trees. Sprint through the sand. Immerse themselves in the darkness.

Bodies pushed to the max, proving that even in the simple act of movement, their dedication to the ninja lifestyle comes first.

* * *

So make no mistake. Only soft, pampered fools that royalty were, traveled in carriages.

And that included princesses.

* * *

The Suna princess forced a pleasant smile onto her face as she got down from the carriage. She cordially greeted the two young ladies who had been sent to greet her, filing their names in her memory. She even managed a laugh for them as they all shuffled through the street up to the hotel that had been reserved for the Sand contingent. She smiled at everyone she met, and most of them were easily charmed, for the princess of Suna could be very charming when she wanted to be. She assured the attendant that she would be ready for a meeting with Nara-san in an hour's time as she stood in the doorway, exerting all her willpower not to slam the door.

She threw herself on the bed, wondering why she even brought her fan.

* * *

"Princess…" came the lazy, mocking drawl. Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes, hoping to get a rise out of her using that old taunt. Uncharacteristic of him to want to get into an argument, but there had been a strange feeling in his gut when it came to her. It first appeared when she had first begun this weird behavior of hers weeks ago but it intensified slightly as he walked with into the Admin building, hearing some of the staff gossip about how nice and sweet the princess was.

Sweet? Nice? He had not met plenty of princesses true, but the few he knew could not be put into those descriptions under any circumstances, including the two terrors he was about to meet with. So when he heard them mention that Princess Temari was a pleasure to work with, it was all he could do to not raise his eyebrows.

He stepped into the room, noticing immediately that she had a smile on her face. But it wasn't one of her usual smiles, feral or furious, or even one of her 'I'm-so-superior-to-all-of-you' smirks. Now more curious, he decided to try a slight taunt; she always hated it when he called her by her title.

"Good afternoon Nara-san." The princess replied graciously, a smile on her face. "Thanks for seeing us so quickly. I know that you are also anxious to finalize these last few details."

Not the answer or expression that he expected. She was still doing her weird thing, pretending like they hadn't gotten to know each other a little better the last few months, with that smile still on her face. Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what kind of game it was, but hell, he would play along for now. "Of course," he replied. "Let us get down to business."

* * *

To the casual observer, i.e. everyone else at the meeting, it appeared to be a most fruitful day, where many issues were trashed out without any shouting or arguments. Both the Suna representative and Konoha representative were completely civil with each other which was contrary to what everyone had heard about the two. Nonetheless no one was about to complain; the two groups even made plans to have dinner together.

Nara-san, however, declined saying something about being busy. The Suna princess smiled politely at him as the rest of the group left for the restaurant.

* * *

Shikamaru picked up the remaining files on the table and proceeded to his room to dump them before heading out. He supposed that he should have been pleased; there had been no issues today and it didn't look like things would change tomorrow and the exams could then start on schedule next week.

He sauntered down the street, wondering if he should chance a visit home to see if his mom had done his laundry but decided against it. She would probably ask him all sort of questions about the exams and lecture him on whatever-not. It wasn't that late so he decided to head down to see Chouji and Ino and have dinner with them.

Which he was then made to pay. According to Ino, he was the most senior and so should be responsible for paying. It didn't make much sense but he was still a little occupied with the day's events to even grumble at her. The 3 of them walked home together as usual; Ino filling the night with whatever new gossip she had heard and Chouji listening without a word.

It wasn't until they reached his apartment that Ino suddenly hit him on the shoulder. "Oww.. What is it?" He asked, slightly irritated.

"What's with you?" replied Ino, her eyebrows shot up. "You been distracted the whole night." Chouji, standing next to her, nodded his head.

He rolled his eyes, "Nothing, I'm just feeling tired."

Ino smiled, "Are you sure Shikamaru-kun… Or is it some wind-blown calamity has our resident genius in-"

"For god's sake…" Shikamaru groaned, "Not this nonsense again. Nothing is wrong and nothing is going between the two of us."

Ino laughed as she hooked Chouji's arm, "Denial is the first sig-"

"There is nothing going on Ino- It was a perfectly pleasant day! No, in fact, it was a completely, perfectly un-troublesome day." He thrust his hands into his pockets as he stomped off leaving them behind, missing the look of surprise on the faces of his friends.

* * *

It was, in fact the most un-troublesome week he ever had. He hated to admit it, but this new Temari was every bit the princess; kind, sweet, polite and thoughtful. Even those that had known her as the insufferable arrogant brat from the time previously, were seemingly being won over.

This Temari was a _superb_ improvement wasn't she? He thought as wandered the hallway during lunch, looking for a quiet place to sit and avoid everyone. Finding a quiet room, he slipped in and sat on the dark brown couch. As drowsy as he beginning to get, he still couldn't put his finger on what it was that was bothering him about Temari. After all this was what he had hoped of her all this while. For her to be mature, un-troublesome and docile. Not a single shout, not a single snarl, scowl or scream or insult. Not even a sarcastic comment.

She was the epitome of the stereotypes that female ninj-

Wait a minute. He sat up in the seat, all drowsy thoughts suddenly fading away. Surely what had just sprung to his mind couldn't be true?

* * *

He had his eyes closed when the Suna delegation and their princess returned from lunch. He continued to keep them closed wondering how he had missed the signs in the last few days. He didn't open them until there was a slight cough from the princess, followed by her uttering his name politely. "Nara-san?"

He opened his eyes, as the rest of the room smirked and grinned around them. One of the Konohaians said something and all eyes around the room re-focused on the speaker. All except for one pair.

That pair continued to stare at the Suna Princess who could feel his eyes roving over her legs, her hands her waist and stomach and finally coming to land at a spot behind her head. She resisted the blush and urge to look at him, mindful that there was a room full of people and there was no way for her to speak to him without being heard. Why, all of a sudden, was he suddenly _checking_ her out?

* * *

Shikamaru stared at Temari. Gone were the arm and leg netting. No sign of any pouches or any sort of container for kunai or other ninja tools. And… there was no giant metal fan peeking over her back.

There hadn't been since he first saw her. Then, he had played it off, delighted that she wouldn't be able to threaten him with it. But as the days passed, it hadn't emerged at all. Not even when he had spotted her walking around Konoha by herself.

He was flabbergasted to say the least. The woman in front of him was really all princess.

And not a ninja at all.

* * *

**Anything different? I think that after all this time, my understanding of their dynamic may have changed and I'm hoping to reflect that in the story. If anyone has got some comments about the characterization please let me know. Thanks for your time!**


	21. The Untroublesome Week, Chapter 2

_It's going to be a bit of an exit from any humor for a while in this arc but I will try not to make things too dull. The next chapter will be up in month hopefully. To those that still bother to read this story, i can't even begin to say thank you._

**A Princess Exposed**

The meeting was over before he could even come to terms with what he had just concluded. The revelation had left him...reeling slightly to say the least. Although why it was doing so, he wasn't quite sure yet.

He was aware that the conversations had begun to taper off and everyone was slowly moving towards the door, chatting and laughing. Except Temari.

He stood up slowly, pretending to stretch and yawn, but really watching her face, albeit more discreetly this time. She was also pretending, he realized, that laugh of hers sounded genuine enough but her hands were gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. She was watching him even as he watched her.

He shouldn't have been, leeri-observing her, so obviously earlier but it was hard to stop once the idea had gripped him. He groaned to himself, having no clue what he was supposed to do next. This new Temari was a creature totally unknown to him; and just when he was beginning to make some headway in understanding the damned woman. She hadn't exactly been interested in talking to him the last few times they had met and the earlier urge to goad her into some of retaliation had all but vanished; in fact he wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of this troublesome place, out of the troublesome thoughts in his stupid analyzing brain.

He inched towards the door, head hanging low, trying to pretend he was his usual morose self. He wasn't even sure anymore why he had to pretend to be so but it definitely had something to do with her. It was always that woman who made him feel like he was stranded in some dark ocean, barely treading water to stop his head from going under, without the slightest clue of what was going on or what to do next. He had just passed the door when he heard his name, "Nara-s-"

Shikamaru didn't even slow down.

* * *

Temari shut her mouth quickly, a little nonplussed at the way he had run off. She could feel the pen in her hand give a little as she gripped it harder. Aware that there were still people around her, she quickly snapped back to focus on the kunoichi in front of her who was apologizing for something. Keeping the smile on her face, she brushed it off with a slight laugh. She stopped when she glanced towards the door where Seima was standing and looking at her, eyes narrowed as he glanced towards the direction that Shikamaru had disappeared in.

She eased her grip on the pen and surreptitiously made it disappear into her dress. They were supposed to go for lunch but the way that asshole had run off had left an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She plastered on an apologetic smile for the rest, aware that Seima wasn't fooled, "Why don't all of you carry on first? I would like to return to my room to get some rest."

She graced him with one of her 'princess' smiles, hoping that he would just accept it and walk away. She was really in the mood to lash out at something but she didn't want it to be her closest friend. He didn't deserve it, not like that arrogant son-of-bitch who was so rude and rude and so _fucking_ rude that even though she was so _fucking _polite and _fucking_ pathetic now that-

"Temari."

She stared back at Seima as the smile dropped from her face. It was a rare privilege for anyone other than her siblings to address her without any honorifics but Seima had earned the right throughout the years. He stopped in front of her, studying the expression on her face as the door closed. She had only recently begun adopting the false faces that she often presented to the people around her; the happy and pleased smile which never properly touched her eyes, the mournful look of concern which was so false that he couldn't believe that anyone could be fooled by it and the worst and definitely the least, the blank stare with the emptiness dimming her bright green eyes.

The same blank stare which was present on her face now as she stared back at him silently. He was right; that chunin had really affected her in some way and weirdly he had done so by doing almost nothing. He had heard a little of the story with them both; the Konoha ninjas had been a willing source along with Kankuro-san and Temari had spoken a word or two but he was never able to get the full story. And even as much time as they had interacting with Sakura-san, she had never been forthcoming with more details about the Nara and Temari beyond the missions they had shared together. And the last few times they had been in Konoha, Temari had never actually said a word to the guy.

He had been friends with her too long to miss the very discreet signs, though he had always been more than confident they would never develop to anything further. After all she was a princess, not to mention a highly respected jounin and much older than this brat who from rumors abound never utilized his so called 'extreme' intelligence. Temari never had much time for anyone who didn't push themselves to be the best so it was all the more confusing that she was behaving this way.

Or, he thought uncomfortably, it could just be the soul-sucking nature of her dealings with the Suna ruling council. He had had the distinct horror of watching her descent into the presentation robot that now inhabited her body over the last few months.

Temari pushed past him, "Go and eat. I just need some rest."

He watched her leave the room, unease coating his stomach. It was the ruling council. His ruling council. Her ruling council. If they asked him to die, he would ask how many times they needed him to.

So what was he supposed to do as he watched a girl who was more than a friend have her soul sucked out by those he had sworn fealty to?

* * *

She had barely taken more than a few steps before a dour faced shinobi appeared in front of her and informed that the Hokage wanted to meet her. She plastered on a smile as she made her way to the Office of the Hokage wondering what new hell was awaiting her.

None of the people in the office looked at her as Shizune let her in, bowing respectfully, a gesture that made her stomach clench uneasily. The Godaime glanced at her briefly before returning her attention to the loud politician – so different from the ninja in the room (_takes one to know one, _her mind whispered_) _- who was almost literally patting his back as his head continued to suffuse with blood (she wondered if it would expand like a Suna bloodworm until it _burst _and showered everyone) boasting of how he had gotten this new trade agreement which –

_Wait a minute._

Before she realized it, she found herself at the front of the room. "That was not in the finalized terms of agreement."

The room turned to look at her as she forced herself to tone down her initial ire and spirit. "The terms as set 4 months ago stated clearly that Suna would continue to pay at the initial price in exchange for allowing Konoha to use -"

Bloodworm scoffed, "I don't know who you think you are to interrupt me girl-"

"That's the princess of Suna." Cut in the Godaime with a raised eyebrow at Bloodworm.

If anything, the title only seemed to increase the flow of blood to his head. "All the more it is not her business to-"

Temari could feel the blood start to flow as her fingernails pierced her palm. "I was part of the negotiation party. The terms were stated very clearly and I don't quite understand how you suddenly think that we would accept such a demea-… _drastic_ change."

A badly hidden sneer appeared on his face as he turned fully to stand tall over her. "If the _princess_ would bother to check with her _superiors_ she would know that those terms have been discussed at the highest level which obviously does not include her. But then again, this is not any concern for a _princess_ so I suggest that she stay out of her _superiors' _business."

He continued to drone on a bit more, but all Temari could think about was an incident in her 2nd year of training when she had seen one of her teachers grab an enemy by the neck and squeeze until the head popped off. The blood had sprayed out like rain which had now become the trademark of Gaara's _Desert Coffin_ technique. Of course, once she had done the same to Bloodworm, it would probably be seen as an act of aggression and she'd probably have to kill everyone in the room.

From the 2 kunoichis (discrete Anbu) lounging on the couch to the even more discrete Anbu that were probably hiding close by, to Shizune (who she had always liked) and even the Godaime Hokage who was glancing at her with some interest. She would kill them all though it would be a little hard without her fan; but Bloodworm deserve something more personal. The Hokage would probably kill her though but it would be worth it just to see the blood spurting from his head like some geyser and then the damne-

"That's enough Bloodworm." Temari frowned, had the Hokage also called him_ bloodworm?_ She couldn't quite hear anything clearly with the blood rushing in her ears. "Thank you for your efforts. You've done a good job."

The worm continued to spout off platitudes as he left the office, most of them directed at himself. She was left standing at the front of the desk, as the Hokage continued to regard her. It took a while before the all the blood drained from her vision and Temari found herself in control again. Still the Hokage kept silent, as though waiting for a response to an obvious question. And Temari didn't have any answers. She had not a clue what was happening, how the trade stipulations had been overturned without her knowledge, to be as demeaning as it could possibly be. She didn't even know at the moment, if she was supposed to take another breath or just continue standing there not breathing until the lack of oxygen caused her to pass out and hopefully drift away into nothingness.

Seeing as how there was not going to be any response from the Suna princess, the Hokage spoke up, "I'm not complaining about this great new deal Konoha is getting… But I'm not intending to foster some sort of hatred and anger because of it."

There was still no reply or hint of one so she went on, "I wanted to hear your opinion on this, but if you have nothing to say…" She trailed off, a blonde eyebrow raised and waiting.

The words floated from her stomach (_or heart? Or was it her brain?_ She wasn't sure) rising through her esophagus, though her throat until it parked itself on the tip of her tongue. Poisonous and bitter they were, causing Temari to wonder dimly if she could make it to some basket before she retched.

"I have no further comments."

* * *

Seima hadn't seen her for the rest of the day. The group of them lowered their faces as they walked past her closed door, glancing out of the corner of their eyes at each other. It had become normal behavior, not that any of them would ever say it out loud to her face, for her to feign some sort of illness or exhaustion or some other excuse and hide herself away from the rest of Suna delegation. Which was painful, considering that they had all been working together for far too long to not be invested in Temari, whether it was out of respect or just sheer admiration.

He wasn't the only one who had felt hurt watching her play this robot, pulling away from them, trying so hard to please the dignitaries from other countries. Two of the girls had actually fought tooth and nail for the chance to get to work with Temari and in the beginning it had been something out of a dream, or so they had described. It was Suna thing, to idolize their ruling family and for them Temari was like a goddess.

For all her temper, which she had so frequently demonstrated to them, she had never shied away from being genuine and honest with them which had always been part of her attraction. And now, the only people she ever even interacted properly with were her genins while the rest of them had to make do with the perfect princess who spouted off words with a fake smile and faked illnesses to avoid everything else.

One of the chunnins, Misani, stopped abruptly. "Do you think she's eaten?"

Everyone glanced at each other but no answers were voiced out. Chieko turned around and headed back towards the front desk, speaking in a low voice. Returning to the group, she shook her head. Again, they stood in silence. One of the younger girls, Akari, turned to Seima and sighed, "She's supposed to prepare the list of nominated genins' supporting documents and sign off on them before tomorrow's meeting."

"She would definitely want to finish that off by tonight ..." Misani said quietly. No one was looking at each other. "But if she's already faking this early at night… Something really upsetting must have occurred."

Seima snorted and wondered what would happen if he banged that door open. For all his right to use her name so casually, he was as powerless as the other upset members of their team. They all wanted to be there for her. They all wanted to help her. They just didn't know how. She… was their Princess. Her brother was their Kazekage and their ruling council was… their ruling council. They could no more break her out of this situation than they could start squawking and laying eggs. If they broke into her room and beg her to for once tell her what on earth they could do to aid her, she would give them a beatific smile and laugh it off.

And if they reminded her about the unfinished work, she would probably take the documents and tell them to let her do it herself. Just so that they wouldn't see her slowly breaking. And that beatific smile would be present again tomorrow.

He made up his mind, "Chieko," he turned to the older girl, "Get them to make some soup with just tofu and prepare a few snacks. Get them to send it to her; she won't turn _them_ away. Akari, prepare those documents and we will all go through it. And prepare her seal."

Akari looked at him doubtfully, "Her seal? Are you sure about that?"

He looked back at the rest of them. "We will support her in whatever we can. If she has a problem with it, she can deal with me tomorrow."

"Deal with us." Misani replied, standing up a little straighter. "She can deal with us."

He nodded at the rest as they scurried off. It wasn't much and it wouldn't solve anything for the future. But she was their Princess and they would damn well have her back.

It was the Suna thing to do.

* * *

_i always imagined that the Suna citizens would treat their family like the royal family of England. It just seems that way in comparison to Konoha._


End file.
